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Human beings have a memory adapted to primarily retain and recall information that favors their survival and reproduction. We tested whether the frequency and severity of environmental challenges influence adaptive memory, i.e., the ability to retain and recall adaptive information. Therefore, in a community of family farmers, we verified whether the salience index of snakes (as a proxy for the distribution of local knowledge and organization in the recall process) is determined by (1) relative abundance; (2) synanthropic behavior (proxies of environmental challenge frequency); (3) aposematic intensity; (4) active defense behavior; and (5) venom lethality (proxies of environmental challenge severity). To access local knowledge, we used semi-structured interviews and free lists. Ecological information about snakes, necessary for hypothesis testing, was collected from 15 herpetologists. Our results suggest that only the frequency of an environmental challenge determines a person's ability to retain and recall adaptive information. The severity of an environmental challenge does not determine episodic memory by itself, but only amplifies the recall of information associated with frequent challenges. Therefore, an individual's adaptive memory is fueled by the repetition of environmental challenges. Nonetheless, when the level of biological organization shifts to the population, severity is deemed evolutionarily significant. The severity of an environmental challenge, even if it leads to the death of individuals, may contribute to the evolution of the population if there are cohesive processes within the population, such as knowledge transmission, that transform it into a new "adaptive unit." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Etnobiología is the property of Etnobiologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Ecology & Evolution (20457758) is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Department of Beni, in the country of Bolivia, is thought to host a significant level of biodiversity as a result of its tropical, moist, and diverse climate and landscape. However, the biodiversity of Beni is also considered poorly known and understudied due to its inaccessible landscapes, socio-economic challenges, and an overall lack of biodiversity infrastructure. This emphasizes the need for comprehensive species inventories and the development of effective conservation policies and strategies. We conducted an assessment of biodiversity, environmental vulnerability, and conservation status of reptiles documented in Beni. We identified 169 reptile species, spanning three orders and twenty-five families that have been officially documented in Beni. Utilizing the Environmental Vulnerability Score (EVS), we classified these species into high (17.8%), medium (68.1%), and low (14.2%) vulnerability categories, while IUCN categorization revealed 1.8% of reptile species in Beni are classified as vulnerable and 0.6% as near threatened. We found significant differences in ecological drivers of vulnerability among species within all categories (high, medium, low), with habitat specificity and human persecution being significantly higher for high and medium-vulnerability species. Our results demonstrate the intricate vulnerabilities of Beni's reptiles, highlighting the need for comprehensive, species-specific conservation strategies and planning. Most importantly, our results offer a consolidated framework of information on reptile biodiversity and conservation for researchers, conservationists, and policymakers to use and build upon in the future that will facilitate the development of biodiversity infrastructure not only in the Department of Beni but throughout Bolivia and the Neotropics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the high level of disturbance in natural ecosystems and the progressive loss of habitats resulting from anthropic occupation, biodiversity conservation represents one of the greatest challenges today. Red lists of threatened species are essential tools for identifying species at risk of extinction and guiding conservation efforts. In this study, we assessed the vulnerability to extinction of 55 snake species that occur in the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil in Paraiba state. We developed vulnerability indices based on 12 factors known to influence the survival of snake populations. To analyze the threat profiles and relative risk levels within the snake community, we employed principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis. Additionally, we compared our findings with existing red lists of threatened species. Our results reveal that only 18% of the snake fauna in this region is free of any threat. The aquatic species Helicops angulatus and Oxyrhopus trigeminus were the snakes that presented the lowest risk of extinction, while Caaeteboia gaeli and Crotalus durissus presented the highest risk of extinction. Two groups of species were considered non-threatened and five groups were considered threatened. Our study provides the first overview on the conservation status of snake species in the northern portion of the Atlantic Forest and contributes to a better evaluation of conservation planning for this group in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objetivo. Identificar la prevalencia de endoparásitos y ectoparásitos en serpientes ex situ en la Fundación Botánica y Zoológica de Barranquilla “Barranquilla Zoo”. Materiales y métodos. Para esto se analizaron muestras de materia fecal y ectoparásitos de 2 colúbridos (Leptophis ahaetulla y Spilotes pullatus), 2 dipsadinos (Oxybelys aeneus y Thamnodynastes paraguanae) y 13 boidos (9 individuos de la especie Boa constrictor, 2 de Epicrates maurus y 2 de Eunectesmurinus) utilizando los métodos de flotación en solución saturada de azúcar y observación directa. Resultados. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron que el 65% (11/17) de los animales evaluados fueron positivos a la presencia de parásitos, de los cuales el 91% (10/11) de los ejemplares pertenece a la familia Boidae presentando en su mayoría nematodos, mientras que en los dipsadinos se observaron principalmente protozoarios y los colúbridos resultaron negativos. Finamente como ectoparásitos se identificaron 2 especies de garrapatas (Amblyomma dissimile. Ornothodoros turicata) halladas en ejemplares de Boa constrictor, Epicrates maurus . Spilotespullatus. Conclusiones. La identificación de las formas parasitarias en este trabajo representa una contribución para el conocimiento de los parásitos en serpientes ex situ en Colombia. Provee información para desarrollar medidas profilácticas y permite comparar los datos sobre las formas parasitarias encontradas con muestreos de estas especies en vida silvestre y bajo cuidados humanos.

Komchén de los Pájaros is a 740-acre Area Voluntarily Dedicated for Conservation (AVDC) located in the municipality of Dzemul, in the north of the state of Yucatán, Mexico. This area is important because it contributes to the conservation of flora and wildlife. Although AVDCs are protected, little is known about the presence, distribution and prevalence of anthropogenic nano and micro pollutants such as metal nanoparticles and microplastics. We carried out an initial study to identify microplastics in Komchén de los Pájaros. Samples of water supply sites and feces from wildlife were analyzed using Nile red staining, optical microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) coupled to attenuated total reflection (ATR) to characterize the microplastics present. Results showed microplastics with granular, fibrous, amorphous, and granulated morphology in the four water supply sites and in animal stools. Fibers were the main shapes. ATR FT-IR identified five different types of microplastics: elastomers, polystyrene, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), cellulolytic polymers, and polyurethane. HDPE was only identified in the animal feces. This is the first report of the presence of MPs in water wells and animal feces in the conservation area Komchén de los Pájaros. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Analyzing the factors related to the acoustic structure of primate calls is fundamental to identifying the potential information these signals convey, and therefore, their potential function. It is well‐accepted that caller arousal is an important driver of acoustic variation in call structure. However, evidence suggests that arousal alone cannot explain the production of calls with different acoustic structures. The "caller goal" framework posits that a call type (e.g., bark and chitter) is a signal which evolved to elicit specific changes on receiver behavior, and a caller's goal, not its arousal state, determines the basic acoustic structure of animal calls. To get a better insight into the effects of caller goal and arousal on the acoustic structure of primate calls, we analyzed the acoustic variation of 382 calls produced by 27 free‐ranging spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) in six call contexts representing three caller goals (establishing contact, engage in aggression, and predator presence) across two arousal states (high and low). Discriminant function analyses and linear mixed models showed a strong effect of caller goal on calls' acoustic structure and supported the effect of arousal state on acoustic variation; misclassified calls mainly occurred between the same caller goal categories (e.g., alarm low arousal and alarm high arousal), and acoustic differences between arousal contexts showed the same pattern across the three caller goals (e.g., low center frequency [kHz] values in high arousal contexts). Our results supported the view that caller goal is the primary driver of acoustic difference and showed the effects of caller arousal on other structural differences. Highlights: Acoustic structure of calls is predicted by caller goal.Acoustic variation across caller goals could facilitate the goals achievement.Acoustic correlates of arousal showed a consistent pattern across goal contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The herpetofauna of the insular systems of Mexico is composed of 226 species, of which 14 are anurans, two are salamanders, and 210 are reptiles, comprised of two crocodilians, 195 squamates, and 13 turtles. Although the surface of the Mexican islands is only 0.26% of the Mexican territorial extension, these 226 species constitute 16.1% of Mexico's documented herpetofauna of 1405 species. We classified the Mexican islands into five physiographic regions: the islands of Pacific Baja California; the islands of the Gulf of California; the islands of the Tropical Pacific; the islands of the Gulf of Mexico; and the islands of the Mexican Caribbean. The highest species richness among these regions is in the Gulf of California, with 108 species, and the lowest richness is 40 for the islands of the Pacific Baja California and 46 for those of the Gulf of Mexico. We identified introduced species, risk of wildfires, climate change, and urban/tourist development as the main environmental threats impinging on these species. In addition, we assessed the conservation status of the native species by comparing the SEMARNAT (NOM-059), IUCN Red List, and the Environmental Vulnerability Score (EVS) systems. The comparison of these systems showed that the NOM-059 and the IUCN systems seriously underestimate the degree of threat for insular endemics, being particularly concerning for those insular species that are known only from their respective type localities. The EVS system proved to be practical and indicated that 94 species have a high vulnerability status, 62 a medium status, and 56 a low status. The Relative Herpetofaunal Priority system, which contrasts the number of endemic and threatened species among different physiographic areas, indicates that the regions with the highest priority are the Islands of the Gulf of California, followed by the islands of the Tropical Pacific. Finally, we discussed the completeness of the Mexican Natural Protected Areas on the insular systems of the country; the result is outstanding since Mexico is already close to achieving the goal of having all their islands under some degree of federal protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen science has established itself as an important approach to the co-production of knowledge and public participation in scientific research. Combined with digital technologies and online tools, the approach has been celebrated as a path toward the democratization of science. However, only a few studies have investigated the role digital technologies play in shaping interactions between people and nature. Additionally, the role of context in shaping online and face-to-face participation in citizen science projects has yet to receive much attention. This article takes a citizen science initiative in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest in the state of São Paulo as an illustrative case of the emergence of unanticipated consequences of digital technologies. The emergence of a socio-material practice of animal identification through a popular instant-messaging app is described, allowing a better understanding of the role of digital technologies and the context framing citizen participation in challenging environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Various snake and lizard species have transparent and fused eyelids that make up a spectacle. From an evolutionary point of view, it is assumed that ancestral snakes developed this structure to protect the eye as an adaptation to their burrowing, underground existence. Between the spectacle and the eye lies a narrow subspectacular space that is filled with a tear-like fluid that drains to the roof of the mouth via the lacrimal duct. Although disorders of the eye are relatively uncommon in squamates with a spectacle, disorders of the spectacle, the subspectacular space, and its drainage system are frequently encountered in veterinary practice. As the spectacle is an integral part of the skin it is renewed with each shedding cycle. Retention of the old layers of the spectacle may occur because of infectious as well as non-infectious causes. Besides inflammation and trauma of the spectacle, overfilling due to blockage of the drainage system (pseudobuphthalmos) as well as bacterial and parasitic infection of the subspectacular space (subspectacular infection) are undoubtedly the most frequently observed disorders in snakes and spectacled lizards. An adequate diagnostic approach often allows the establishment of a successful treatment for these conditions. Various squamate species have completely fused eyelids that make up a transparent spectacle. The spectacle is a continuation of the integument that is renewed with each shedding cycle and creates a narrow subspectacular or corneospectacular space that is filled with lacrimal fluid. The latter is considered as the analogue of the conjunctival sac in other vertebrates. Almost all reptiles that have a spectacle lack a nictitating membrane, bursalis muscle, and lacrimal glands. The lacrimal fluid in the subspectacular space is secreted by the Harderian gland. The features of the spectacle and its lacrimal drainage system are an illustration of the enormous variation of the morphological adaptations that are seen in reptiles and one of the most distinguishable traits of snakes and most gecko species. Whereas ocular disease in squamates with a spectacle is infrequently seen in practice, disorders of the spectacle and the subspectacular space are commonly encountered. In order to apply an adequate diagnostic and therapeutic approach for these conditions, a sound knowledge and understanding of the anatomical and physiological peculiarities of the spectacle, subspectacular space, and lacrimal drainage system are fundamental. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reptiles, as well as other vertebrate groups, harbour a significant diversity of parasitic organisms, from nematodes and other helminths to viruses and bacteria. The Northeast is one of the richest regions in Brazil in terms of the reptile diversity, number of species and endemism. Parasites are diverse organisms and knowledge about the parasitic fauna of vertebrates is an important factor in understanding the ecological relationships between hosts and the environment. Studies on the parasitic fauna of reptiles in South America have increased in the past few years. The present review is a compilation of 122 studies published from 1924 to 2021. We present information on 101 species of reptiles from five groups (amphisbaenians, crocodile, testudines, snakes and lizards) and 183 parasitic taxa belonging to four phyla: Nematoda; Arthropoda; Platyhelminthes; and Acanthocephala. Nematodes were the most frequently recorded species. Lizards and snakes had more records of parasitism and higher levels of parasite richness and diversity. Ceará was the state with most studies and recorded cases of parasite–host association. The Caatinga and Atlantic Forest were the most investigated environments. The objective of this review was to contribute knowledge on the parasitic biodiversity in reptiles from Northeast Brazil, which may help identify gaps in our knowledge and guide future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Caldasia is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Caldasia is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The death of wild vertebrates run over by motor vehicles on highways is one of the main causes of the loss of wildlife diversity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the diversity of wild fauna in roadkill incidents on a stretch of highway in the semiarid region of Brazil. The survey was conducted between March 2020 and May 2021 through active searches using a motorcycle. Killed vertebrates were analyzed and photographed in situ. Wild fauna was studied based on ecological descriptors, speed of movement and average rate of roadkill incidents. We compared total observed richness to that expected using nonparametric estimators. A total of 464 road-killed vertebrates were represented by two species of amphibians, 17 reptiles, 17 birds and 10 mammals. Amphibians were the most affected, totaling 245 individuals. Colubridae was the family with the largest number of species affected. Boiruna sertaneja and Boa constrictor were the only medium-size to large snakes killed. Herpailurus yagouaroundi and Leopardus tigrinus are respectively categorized as "least concern" and "vulnerable" according to the IUCN. The species accumulation curves continued to rise, showing no sign of approaching to an asymptote. Chao 2 and Jack 2 were the main estimators for road-killed wild vertebrates considering total richness. The diversity reported here is considered to be underestimated and greater monthly sampling efforts are required. Conservation strategies are urgently needed for the protection of wild vertebrate fauna to mitigate the staggering loss of biodiversity caused by the construction and operation of roads and highways in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classic Wallace's riverine barrier hypothesis (RBH) has been widely invoked to explain species distribution and evolutionary divergence throughout Amazonia. Dispersal and gene flow limited by the inability to cross a river restricts geographic distribution to an interfluvial zone, which causes different assemblage compositions between opposite river banks. In this study, we sampled frogs and Squamata reptiles along the Jari River, a tributary of the lower Amazon River, to test the RBH at assemblage level. We used non-metric multidimensional scaling based on species abundance to compare assemblage composition between river banks. We found that 63.6% of the frogs sampled are absent or occur in low abundances on one of the river banks, which resulted in distinct assemblages between banks. This finding supported the barrier-effect as a predictor of the regional frog diversity, which is remarkable, since the Jari River is considerably narrower than all the Amazonian rivers for which RHB has been supported. However, although some reptile species were restricted to one of the river banks, assemblage composition did not differ between banks. This finding suggests that the barrier-effect should not be extrapolated to other groups of organisms, since good dispersers can homogenize assemblages between river banks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent need to develop natural antimicrobials for the control of rapidly mutating drug-resistant bacteria and poultry viruses. Five extracts were prepared using diethyl ether, ethyl acetate, methanol, 1-butanol and n-hexane from abdominal fats of Varanus griseus locally known as Indian desert monitor. Antibacterial, antioxidant and antiviral activities from oil extracts were done through disc diffusion method, stable 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay and in ovo antiviral assay, respectively. The gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analyses were used to determine principal active compounds and chemical profile of each oil extract. n-Hexane extract showed clear zones of inhibition (ZOI) against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae (12 ± 0.5 mm, 9 ± 0.5 mm, and 9 ± 0.5 mm) while diethyl ether extract exhibited significant antibacterial activity (11 ± 0.5 mm) against Proteus vulgaris only. In case of drug-resistant strains, methanol extract was active (6 ± 0.5 mm) against Staphylococcus aureus, whereas n-hexane extract has shown ZOI 11 ± 0.5 mm against P. aeruginosa. Range of percentage scavenging activity of V. griseus oil extracts from DPPH free radical assay was 34.9–70.7%. For antiviral potential, growth of new castle disease virus (NDV) was effectively inhibited by all five extracts (HA titer = 0–4). The highest antiviral activity against avian influenza virus (H9N2) was observed from methanol, diethyl ether and 1-Butanol oil extracts with HA titers of 2, 2 and 0, respectively. Methanol, diethyl ether, 1-butanol and n-hexane oil extracts produced best hemagglutination assay (HA) titer values (0, 0, 4 and 0) against infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). Ethyl acetate and 1-Butanol extract exhibited good antiviral potential against infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) with indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) titers of 8 and 4, respectively. Main classes of identified compounds through gas chromatography were aldehydes, fatty acids, phenols and esters. GC–MS identified 11 bioactive compounds in V. griseus oil extracts. It is summarized that V. griseus oil has strong antioxidant activity and good antimicrobial potential because of its bioactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of new roads opens access to native environments, resulting in changes to the landscape. These roads cause the death of native wildlife due to collisions with vehicles, which is the main cause of human-induced vertebrate death. This work aimed to investigate the spatial distribution of roadkills on the BR-163 highway, Mato Grosso, Brazil, an Amazonia–Cerrado transition zone, to identify roadkill hotspots. The study area consisted of 244 km of road. Twenty-five trips were made totaling 6100 km of surveyed roadway between 2008 and 2011. A total of 1005 individuals from 65 species was recorded in this study. Mammals were the most affected, both in number of individuals and species, followed by birds, reptiles, and amphibians. The species with the highest roadkill rates were Cerdocyon thous and Tyto furcata. Identified endangered mammals included Myrmecophaga tridactyla, Chrysocyon brachyurus, Priodontes maximus, Speothos venaticus, Tapirus terrestris, Pteronura brasiliensis, and Ateles marginatus. The highest rates of roadkill were recorded during the wet season. The location and number of hotspots varied among classes and were related to different environmental variables such as waterbodies, forest fragments, and agricultural areas. Roadkills may be a major threat for vulnerable species and should therefore be studied to define conservation plans for local species and road traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Neotropical Biology / Revista de Biologia Neotropical is the property of Journal of Neotropical Biology / Revista de Biologia Neotropical and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arqueología Iberoamericana is the property of Arqueologia Iberoamericana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Hunting wild animals is essential for nutrition, clothing, predator control and disease treatment. As part of a system based on food choices and uses, it is influenced by ecological, economic and sociocultural patterns. In this context, the aim is to identify the game fauna of interest in the Brazilian semiarid region; indicate the methods, uses, patterns of choices and cultural importance of the fauna and identify which sociodemographic variables influence the knowledge and use of faunal resources. Methods: Information on hunting and fauna use was obtained through semi-structured interviews, complemented with free interviews and informal conversations. The cultural importance of the species was calculated through the current use value. The generalized linear model was created to verify whether the sociodemographic profile of hunters influences the knowledge and use of game species. Results: The results showed a representativeness of 56 species. The group of birds was the most representative in terms of taxonomic richness (48.2%), followed by the group of mammals (26.8%), reptiles (21.4%) and amphibians (3.6%). The animals mentioned are used for food, trade, control hunting (slaughter of animals considered invaders of property or harmful to humans), pets, zootherapy and ornamentation. Sociodemographic variables shaped the knowledge of faunal resources, in which the age of hunters showed a negative correlation with the number of known species. Conclusions: The meaning and forms of use attributed to each species depend on ecological, economic and sociocultural factors, which dictate the relationship between human communities and natural resources. Socioeconomic variables shape hunting patterns in all its aspects, whether in perception that hunters have of the resources, forms of use and utilization of hunting strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ornithological Applications is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Keywords: anuran; buzzing call; call duration; call frequency; competition; flagging behavior; Taiwan; territory EN anuran buzzing call call duration call frequency competition flagging behavior Taiwan territory 1 6 6 04/05/22 20220401 NES 220401 Several frog species display foot-flagging behavior during agonistic interactions (Furtado et al., 2019; Preininger et al., 2009, 2013). A call duration >500 ms is labeled a long call gl Call duration (ms) and dominant frequency (kHz) of the defender and the challenger (Figure 3) were compared by analysis of variance with post hoc Tukey test in SPSS 22. After the challenger's attack, the defender used short calls, long calls, and two more flagging behaviors. The challenger only used flagging behavior twice: immediately after the defender's first flagging behavior and before the defender's second flagging behavior. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad is the property of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An annotated checklist of the helminth parasites associated with reptiles from Peru is provided, as the result of a compilation of parasitological papers published between 1963 and January 2022 and records of species deposited in national and international collections. The list provides data on hosts, developmental stage, sites of infection, geographical distribution in Peruvian territory, code of material deposited in helminthological collections, references and taxonomic notes. The database includes records of 106 different species of helminth parasites (82 nominal species and 24 taxa identified at the generic level), the majority in the adult stage. These helminth parasites come from 18 of the 25 official Peruvian regions. Nematodes have the highest richness in number of species (79 species), followed by trematodes (17 species) and cestodes (nine species). The acanthocephalans are represented by only one species. The parasites with the highest number of records were Physaloptera retusa Rudolphi, 1819 (11 hosts), Physalopteroides venancioi (Lent, Freitas & Proença, 1946) (nine hosts), Strongyluris oscari Travassos, 1923 (seven hosts), and Parapharyngodon scleratus Travassos, 1923 (five hosts), all of which are nematodes. The 106 taxa of helminth parasites have been reported infecting 55 species of reptiles in Peru, distributed in 34 genera and 14 families. The reptile species harbouring the highest number of helminth parasites are the yellow-footed tortoise Chelonoidis denticulatus (Linnaeus) with 18 species (three trematodes and 15 nematodes), followed by the Peru desert tegu Dicrodon guttulatum Duméril & Bibron (Teiidae) with 11 species (three cestodes and eight nematodes) and the yellow-spotted Amazon River turtle Podocnemis unifilis Troschel (Podocnemididae) with 10 species (five trematodes and five nematodes). Of the 524 species of reptiles reported in Peru, only 55 (>10%) are reported as hosts of helminths representing a small proportion considering the great variety of reptile hosts that inhabit the various tropical and subtropical geographical areas of Peru. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reptile meats and fats are used for their medicinal properties and nutritional values perceived through the culture of native peoples, though often with no scientific basis. Providing scientific information about potential medicinal and nutritional use of reptile fats would be a strategy for the full use of wild animals, supporting the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity. The objective of this study was to characterize and chemically compare the fat and oil of individuals of Argentine Black and white tegu (Salvator merianae) and Broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) from sustainable use and conservation programs. In addition, we evaluated the microbiological characteristics and the antimicrobial activity of the oils obtained by different methods. We used two methodologies to obtain oils, one by fusion extraction and the other by drying-decantation (traditional hunter's method). We obtained the chemical and microbiological characterization of fat and oil of C. latirostris and S. merianae. All the oil samples presented less than 10 CFU/ml of all the microorganisms tested. C. latirostris and S. merianae oil showed nutritional quality parameters that indicate its potential use. Furthermore, S. merianae oil showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Candidas tropicalis. No inhibition occurs for the rest of the microorganisms analyzed. C. latirostris oil did not show antimicrobial activity, although the lipid profile does indicate some anti-inflammatory potential. This study demonstrates the potential application of the tested oils and confirms the pharmacological basis for the traditional therapeutic use of S. merianae oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents observations of the diet of a Eunectes murinus or Green Anaconda that regurgitated a partially digested adult Helicops trivittatus while being measured in a laboratory after it was collected during lake management activities at the Parque Estadual do Utinga Camillo Vianna, Belém, Pará, Brazil on November 23, 2021.

The article presents observation of the diet of an adult Drymarchon melanurus or Central American Indigo Snake that was found eating an Incilius marmoreus in the tropical forest at the Reserva Estatal de Sierra Vallejo, Municipality of Bahia de Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico on July 7, 2020.