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The White-lipped Treefrog Zhangixalus pachyproctus Yu, Hui, Hou, Wu, Rao & Yang, 2019 was previously confused with Zhangixalus smaragdinus (Blyth, 1852). Records of Zhangixalus smaragdinus from Yunnan (China), Vietnam and Thailand were recognised as a misidentification and this taxon was subsequently described as a new species, based on morphological and molecular evidence. This species is currently known from southern China, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. However, knowledge about its natural history and feeding ecology is virtually lacking.We herein report a newly-discovered population of Zhangixalus pachyproctus from Lang Son Province, northern Vietnam. In addition, we provide novel data about the diet of Z. pachyproctus, based on stomach content analyses of 38 individuals (37 males and one female). A total of 26 prey categories with 681 items were found in the stomachs of Z. pachyproctus. The dominant prey items of the species were Orthoptera (Acrididae, Tettigoniidae), Coleoptera (Languriida, Leiodidae, larvae, other Coleoptera), Mantodea (Mantidae) and Blattodea (Blaberidae, Blattidae, other Blattodea). Coleoptera (Coccinellidae, Cupedidae, Elateridae, Languriidae Leiodidae, Tenebrionidae, larvae and other Coleoptera) was the category with the highest frequency of prey items, found in 24 stomachs. The most important (IRI) groups amongst the prey of Z. pachyproctus were Coleoptera (24.52%) and followed by Orthoptera (24.43%), Blattodea (9.12%), Mantidae (8.14%) and Hemiptera (4.05%).

Vietnam belongs to one of the most well-known global biodiversity hotspots. However, its biodiversity is being threatened by multiple factors such as rapid growth of the human population, habitat destruction, overexploitation, and climate change. To better prioritize conservation measures for Vietnam’s mammal fauna, this study attempts to identify the threat status, level of endemism, and protected area coverage for approximately 329 recognized taxa. In addition, ex situ conservation measures are investigated by analyzing zoo databases. Our results show that as many as 112 mammal species (~34%) in Vietnam are officially listed as threatened, 36 (~11%) are country endemics, and nine (~3%) are micro-endemic. Nearly all threatened species are currently covered by protected areas, except for two species of high conservation importance, i.e., the micro-endemic Murina harpioloides (Chiroptera) and the threatened Lepus sinensis (Lagomorpha). Our results also suggest that such areas as Hoang Lien Range, northeastern Vietnam, and the central and southern Annamite Mountains require more conservation attention, as they harbor a high number of endemic species. Analyses of the Zoological Information Management System reveal that roughly 60% (67 species) of threatened species are currently kept in zoos (ex situ) across the world, while none of the species listed as “Data Deficient” are currently represented in any ex situ program. Up to 66% of 89 species kept in zoos show a good number of breeding successes in the past 12 months. It is recommended that future conservation efforts focus on unprotected threatened mammals and on evaluating the threat status for “Data Deficient” species. Additionally, the existing protected area system's effectiveness should be improved by creating corridors to provide connectivity for highly mobile and widely distributed mammal species.

The genus Leptobrachella (Anura, Megophryidae) was originally described, based on the type species from Sarawak (Malaysia), Leptobrachella mjöbergi Smith. The taxa in the group were previously classified into different genera, i.e, Paramegophrys Liu; Leptolalax Dubois; Lalax Delorme, Dubois, Grosjean & Ohler; and Lalos Dubois, Grosjean, Ohler, Adler & Zhao. However, Yuan et al. synonymised Leptolalax with Leptobrachella in 2017. Members of Leptobrachella inhabit the forest floor and rocky streams in hilly evergreen forests. They are widely distributed from southern China and Myanmar through mainland Indochina to Peninsular Malaysia and the island of Borneo. However, the species diversity of the genus was indicated to be underestimated by phylogenetic analyses and a series of new species have been discovered recently. In Vietnam, 34 species of Leptobrachella are currently known and 75% (or 24 species) have been described or newly recorded from the country since 2010.We describe a new species, Leptobrachella huynhi sp. nov., from Sin Ho District, Lai Chau Province. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by genetic divergences ranging from 3.62 to 18.51% (16S rRNA gene) and morphological differences: size medium (SVL 37.8–40.2 mm in adult females); head longer than wide; tympanum distinct; skin on entire dorsum shagreened; toes without webbing and with narrow lateral fringes; supratympanic ridge slightly rough with few nodules; dorsum grey-brown with indistinct dark brown markings; an interorbital region with a stacking double Y-shaped marking; centre of belly creamy-white, outer edges of belly brown with small whitish spots; iris copper. The new species is the 35th species of the genus Leptobrachella known from Vietnam.

We describe a new treefrog species from Lao Cai Province, northwestern Vietnam. The new species is assigned to the genus Zhangixalus based on a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) dorsum green, smooth; body size medium (SVL 30.1–32.2 in males); (2) fingers webbed; tips of digits expanded into large disks, bearing circum-marginal grooves; (3) absence of dermal folds along limbs; (4) absence of supracloacal fold and tarsal projection. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by: (1) dorsal surface of the head and body green without spots; (2) axilla and groin cream with a black blotch; (3) ventral cream without spot; (4) chin creamy with grey marbling; anterior part of the thigh and ventral surface of tibia orange without spots; posterior parts of thigh orange with a large black blotch; (5) ventral side of webbing orange with some grey pattern (6) iris red-bronze, pupils black; (7) finger webbing formula I1¼-1¼II1-2III1-1IV, toe webbing formula I½-½II0-1½III¼-1¾IV1¾-½V. Phylogenetically, the new species is nested in the same subclade as Z. jodiae, Z. pinglongensis, and Z. yaoshanensis, with genetic distances ranging from 3.23% to 4.68%. The new species can be found in evergreen montane tropical forests at an elevation of about 1,883 m a.s.l. This new discovery brings the number of known genus Zhangixalus species to 42 and the number of species reported from Vietnam to 10.

The Spotted Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus variegatus) has been recognised since 2019 from Vietnam and Hainan Island, China, but little information about its population status and distribution range is currently available. The species has been provisionally listed as Critically Endangered by the Turtle and Tortoise Working Group, although the status has not been officially accepted by the IUCN, due to the threats the species is facing, including habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation for food, competition with other non-native softshell turtles and pollution. To identify conservation priority sites for P. variegatus in mainland Indochina, this study combines molecular analyses and species distribution modelling. Our results show that, in Vietnam, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park has the largest suitable area and high probability of species occurrence, followed by Vu Quang National Park and Song Thanh and Ke Go Nature Reserves. In addition, the central provinces, from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien Hue in Vietnam, constitute a key part of the species distribution and should be prioritised for conservation actions. According to the study’s findings, although P. variegatus is possibly found in Laos, the probability decreases sharply at the border between both countries and there is also a gap in the occurrence of wetlands, arguing for strong natural barriers. Unfortunately, to date, only part of the species potential distribution is protected, while no records are known from protected areas, highlighting the need for extended or even new reserves. To recover natural populations of the species and following the IUCN’s One Plan Approach to Conservation, breeding programmes have been established in Vietnam with a potential to expand to other facilities in the country and abroad. Once suitable sites are identified, offspring can be released into the protected areas to improve the current conservation status of this highly-threatened softshell turtle.

We describe a new species of the genus Cyrtodactylus based on five adult specimens from Bac Ha District, Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam. Cyrtodactylus luci sp. nov. is distinguished from the remaining Indochinese bent-toed geckos by a combination of the following morphological characteristics: medium size (SVL up to 89.5 mm); dorsal tubercles in 17–19 irregular transverse rows; ventral scales in 32–34 longitudinal rows at midbody; precloacal pores present in both sexes, 9 or 10 in males, 8 or 9 in females; 12–15 enlarged femoral scales on each thigh; femoral pores 9–12 in males, 5–10 in females; postcloacal tubercles 2–4; lamellae under toe IV 21–23; dorsal pattern consisting of 5 or 6 irregular dark bands, a thin neckband without V-shape or triangle shape in the middle, top of head with dark brown blotches; subcaudal scales transversely enlarged. Molecular phylogenetic analyses recovered the new species as the sister taxon to C. gulinqingensis from Yunnan Province, China, with strong support from all analyses and the two taxa are separated by approximately 8.87–9.22% genetic divergence based on a fragment of the mitochondrial ND2 gene. This is the first representative of Cyrtodactylus known from Lao Cai Province.

Occidozyga shiwandashaensis was recently discovered from Guangxi Province of China. Hylarana latouchii is a widespread species in southern China, including Hong Kong and Taiwan. Both species are expected to be found in the border areas between Vietnam and China; however, no records of these frogs have been documented from Vietnam so far.We record two species of amphibians for the first time from Vietnam, namely Occidozyga shiwandashaensis from Bac Giang Province and Hylarana latouchii from Hai Phong City and Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam. Morphologically, the Vietnamese representatives of O. shiwandashanensis resemble the type series from China. The specimens of H. latouchii from Vietnam slightly differ from the type series from China by having a larger size (SVL 48.6–51.7 mm in males, SVL 58.4 mm in the females vs. 36.0–40.0 mm in males, 42.0–53.0 mm in females). Genetic distances between the Vietnamese records and the type specimens of O. shiwandashanensis from China varied from 0 to 1.5% (16S gene). Genetic divergences between the Vietnamese records and H. latouchii from the type locality were 2.0–2.6% (16S gene). In addition, morphological data and natural history notes of the aforementioned species are provided, based on the new records from Vietnam. ­­

Madagascar, as one of the global biodiversity hotspots, hosts numerous unique terrestrial mammal species that need urgent protection. To identify priority species for conservation, an updated list of terrestrial Malagasy mammal species was compiled, including their threat status, distribution, endemism level, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) listing, and Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) score. An overview of these species kept in zoos worldwide was created using the Zoological Information Management System and Zootierliste to assess ex situ conservation efforts. Nearly 60% of the 212 native terrestrial mammal species are threatened with extinction, with 18% being regional endemics, 39% microendemics, and 42% endemics. The majority of these species (92%) occur within protected areas. About half of Madagascar’s mammals are listed under CITES, and less than half have an EDGE score. Only 34 species are kept in zoos globally, with 26 Red-Listed as threatened. Nine out of seventeen families are not represented in zoos. A total of 1545 institutions, primarily in Europe and North America, keep Malagasy mammal species, with successful reproduction reported for 28 species in the last 12 months, 23 of them listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List. To maximize conservation, we recommend reallocating resources towards priority species and implementing concerted ex situ and in situ actions as proposed by the IUCN’s One Plan Approach.

Abstract Background Ecomorphological studies of lizards have increasingly employed comparison of claw morphology among species in relation to spatial niche use. Typically, such studies focus on digit IV of the autopodia, especially the pes. Uniformity of claw morphology among digits is more often implicitly assumed than tested. Results Using four species of Cyrtodactylus, comprising two generalist and two scansorial taxa that use different substrates, we examined whether claw morphology is uniform among digits and among species. We found that, within each species, ventral claw curvature is uniform across all digits whereas there are small but insignificant differences in ventral claw length and claw depth. The claws of the pes of each species are longer and deeper than those of the corresponding digits of the manus. The claw of digit I of each species is significantly shorter and shallower on both autopodia compared to those on digits IV and V (digit I, including its claw, is idiosyncratically variable among lizards in general). Conclusions We conclude that digit IV is an adequate representative of claw form in each species and exhibits variation among species, thereby serving as an exemplar for use in studies of potential discrimination between ecomorphological types in studies of Cyrtodactylus.

Since the world is currently in the midst of a major biodiversity crisis, scientists have assigned high conservation priority to 36 biodiversity hotspots around the world. As part of one of the leading hotspots in terms of species richness and local endemism, Vietnam is considered a country with high conservation priority. The reptile fauna of Vietnam is known for its high level of diversity and an outstanding number of endemic species. Vietnamese reptiles are highly threatened due to habitat loss and overharvesting for domestic and international trade, traditional medicine and food, making them a group of great conservation concern. As a baseline for improved reptile conservation in Vietnam, we conducted a conservation assessment of Vietnamese reptile species by evaluating data from a variety of sources. Our study results show that approximately 32.9% (n = 159) of the total reptile species (n = 484) present in Vietnam are endemic to the country, of which more than half are only known from their type locality and about one-third restricted to a particular subregion, making the species particularly vulnerable to threats. Furthermore, 33.5% (n = 53) of 158 endemic taxa included in the protected area analysis have not yet been recorded from any protected area. Among all 418 Vietnamese reptile species listed on the IUCN Red List, 17.7% (n = 74) are threatened with extinction, 46.0% (n = 34) of the total 74 threatened species are endemic to Vietnam. The fact that 135 species are either listed as DD or have not yet been evaluated by the IUCN highlights the urgency of further research. Moreover, only very few species are protected by national or international legislation, and further assessments are needed to protect reptiles of particular concern. A Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) analysis revealed that 22.5% (n = 109) of all reptiles occurring in Vietnam and only 6.3% (n = 10) of the endemic Vietnamese reptiles are currently kept in zoos worldwide. Although 60.8% (n = 45) of the threatened reptiles (n = 74) from Vietnam are currently held in zoos, only 23.5 (n = 8) of the endemic threatened species (n = 34) are held there. Following the IUCN CPSG`s One Plan Approach to Conservation, it is therefore recommended to increase the number of threatened and endemic species in breeding stations and zoos to maintain assurance populations, suitable for restocking measures. Despite ongoing efforts in Vietnam, further conservation measures are required. We therefore also identify areas of highest reptile diversity and with the largest number of threatened species and provide a list of 50 most threatened species (10% of total species) as a guide for further research and conservation action in Vietnam.

A new species of the genus Tylototriton is described from Ngoc Linh Mountain, Kon Tum Province, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam based on integrative taxonomy, namely by combining molecular and morphological evidence. Tylototriton ngoclinhensis sp. nov. differs from all other congeners based on morphological data, allopatric distribution, and molecular divergence. In terms of genetic divergence, Tylototriton ngoclinhensis sp. nov. distinctly differs from the sister species T. panhai (6.77%) and from T. ngarsuensis (12.36%) based on the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) gene. Tylototriton ngoclinhensis sp. nov. is a moderate sized and robust salamander species with large cephalic edges, parotoids, and vertebral ridge orange in coloration. The new taxon differs from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characteristics: size medium (SVL 60.8–66.5 mm, TL 57.6–61.8 mm in males, and SVL 72.5–75.6 mm, TL 62.9–67.9 mm in females); head longer than wide; parotoids very prominent and enlarged, projecting backwards; tail length shorter than snout-vent length; vertebral ridge large, high and glandular in appearance; 14 large and distinct dorsolateral glandular warts; gular fold present; tips of fore and hind limbs overlapping when adpressed along the body; tips of fingers reaching between eye and nostril when foreleg is laid forward; dorsal surface and lateral sides of the head, upper and lower lips, dorsolateral glandular warts, vertebral ridge, the peripheral area of the cloaca and the ventral edge of the tail orange in coloration; the presence of a distinct black line extending from the posterior end of the eye towards the shoulder. Tylototriton ngoclinhensis sp. nov. is restricted to evergreen montane forests near water bodies on Ngoc Linh Mountain. We suggest that the new species should be classified as Endangered (EN) in the IUCN Red List. This new important discovery represents the eighth Tylototriton taxon described from Vietnam, and at the same time constitutes the southernmost distributional record for the whole genus in Asia.

An integrative analysis recovered a new species of the Hemiphyllodactylus typus group from a karst formation in Lung Cu Commune, Dong Van District, Ha Giang Province, northeastern Vietnam. Hemiphyllodactylus lungcuensis sp. nov. is embedded within clade 6 of the typus group, bearing an uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence of 4.6–20.2% from all other species based on a 1,038 base pair segment of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (ND2). It is diagnosable from other species in clade 6 by statistically significant mean differences in normalized morphometric, meristic, and categorical characters. A multiple factor analysis using the three aforementioned character types recovered its unique, non-overlapping placement in morphospace as statistically significantly different from that of all other species in clade 6. The description of this new Hemiphyllodactylus species contributes to a growing body of literature underscoring the high degree of herpetological diversity and endemism in karst landscapes in Vietnam as well as in the genus Hemiphyllodactylus.

A new species of small tree frog is described from northwestern Vietnam based on morphological differences and molecular divergence. Gracixalus truongi sp. nov. is distinguishable from its congeners and other small rhacophorid species on the basis of a combination of the following characters: size relatively small, SVL 32.2–33.1 mm in males, 37.6–39.3 mm in females; head slightly wider than long; vomerine teeth absent; snout round and long RL/SVL 0.17–0.19 in males, 0.16–0.17 in females; spines on upper eyelid absent; supratympanic fold distinct; tympanum distinct; dorsal skin smooth; throat smooth and venter granular; tibiotarsal projection absent; webbing of fingers rudimentary, toes with moderately developed webbing; dorsum moss-green, with an inverse Y-shaped dark green marking extended from interorbital region to posterior region of dorsum; external vocal sac absent in males; males with a nuptial pad on finger I. In the molecular analyses, the new species has no clear sister taxon and is at least 4.5% divergent from other congeners based on a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene.

A new species of Quasipaa is described from Ngoc Linh Mountain of the Kon Tum Massif in central Vietnam. The new species is morphologically distinguishable from its congeners on the basis of a combination of the following diagnostic characters: SVL 79.6–84.3 mm in males and 64.6–69.9 mm in females; head broader than long; vomerine teeth present; external vocal sacs absent; tympanum slightly visible; dorsum with lines of thick ridges and small round tubercles; flanks covered by oval and round tubercles; supratympanic fold present; dorsolateral fold absent; ventrolateral sides, ventral surface of arms, and all fingers with spines in males; the absence of spines on chest and belly in males; toes fully webbed to distal portion of terminal phalanx; in life, dorsum dark brown, chest and belly immaculate white. Phylogenetic analyses found that the genetic divergence of the new species and its congeners ranged from 4.2–5.1% (compared with Quasipaa boulengeri) to 7.6–8.1% (compared with Q. shini) in the 16S gene.

The current decline in global biodiversity is most evident in amphibians with 41% percent of all species worldwide classified as threatened with extinction. Hence, a major challenge in amphibian conservation is the high number of threatened species, leading to a common approach of identifying priority species and regions for conservation efforts. As a part of one of 36 globally designated biodiversity hotspots, Vietnam is considered to be of particular importance for conservation action. To improve amphibian conservation in Vietnam, this study provides an updated species list and assesses their threat status by compiling data from a variety of sources. Furthermore, a Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) analysis was conducted to determine the representation of extant amphibians from Vietnam in zoos worldwide. The batrachofauna of Vietnam is characterized by a high level of species richness and local endemism as well as a high rate of new discoveries, with more than half of the endemic species reported exclusively from their type locality, making them especially vulnerable to extinction. Up to 18% of all amphibians extant in Vietnam and 28% of endemic species are classified as threatened with extinction by the IUCN. In many cases, the IUCN Red List status is either missing or outdated, highlighting the urgent need of action. Around 14% of endemic amphibian species have been recorded exclusively from unprotected areas, suggesting prioritization for further research and conservation measures. The continuing decline in many species remains an unresolved problem. As a guide for future research and conservation measures, a list of the top 57 species was compiled. In addition, according to the ZIMS analysis, only 8% of threatened and 3% of endemic amphibian taxa from Vietnam are currently kept in zoos worldwide, and a richness analysis revealed that the highest density of husbandries is found in Europe and North America. To achieve maximum outcome for the conservation of threatened species, this study recommends a general shift by zoos towards maintaining species in greater need of captive assurance populations and breeding programs to support integrative strategies that combine in situ and ex situ conservation efforts following the IUCN’s One Plan Approach.

The Cyrtodactylus irregularis group, originally considered to consist of only one taxon, has been split into 26 species. We herein present the distribution of all species within the group in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and describe two new species based on integrative analyses. Cyrtodactylus chumuensis sp. nov. is discovered from Dak Lak Province and distinguished from the remaining taxa by more than 11.86% genetic divergence and by the following distinct morphological characters: size medium (SVL 67.5 mm); enlarged femoral scales on each thigh 4–5, femoral pores 0–2 in males; precloacal pores 6–7 in males; ventral scale rows 43–45; lamellae under toe IV 17–21. Cyrtodactylus arndti sp. nov. is described from Binh Dinh Province and genetically differentiated from its congeners by a minimum of 11.42% and by the following characters: adult size medium (SVL 73.4–80.8 mm); enlarged femoral scales on each thigh 5–11; femoral pores 0–2 in males; 6 precloacal pores in males, females with 6 pitted precloacal pores; ventral scale rows 26–38; lamellae under toe IV 17–22; subcaudal scales transversely enlarged. Additionally, we highlight the potential cryptic diversity with the taxon currently regarded as C. pseudoquadrivirgatus and understudied areas in Vietnam where new species will likely be discovered.

Cyrtodactylus is the most diverse genus of the family Gekkonidae and the world’s third largest vertebrate genus. The number of species has increased more than fourfold over the last two decades. Indochina, especially Vietnam and Laos, has witnessed a surge in new species discoveries over the last three decades. The species number reported from Laos and Vietnam has remarkably increased from five in 1997 to 71 species in 2021. However, within the genus, several taxonomic issues have not yet been fully resolved. Based on recently collected samples from Laos and Vietnam, we conducted a comprehensive molecular review of Cyrtodactylus occurring in Laos and Vietnam. Our molecular analysis with support from morphological comparisons showed that C. thuongae is a junior synonym of C. dati and C. rufford is a junior synonym of C. lomyenensis. In total, 68 described species distributed in Laos and Vietnam are undisputed with strong support from both molecular and morphological evidence. On the other hand, the molecular analyses revealed that there are at least seven undescribed species in Vietnam and Laos, one in the C. angularis group, one in the C. chauquangensis, and five in the C. irregularis group. This number will likely increase significantly, as previous work suggested that the C. angularis and C. irregularis groups harbor three and six unnamed lineages, respectively. Based on survey gaps identified in our study, it is clear that additional new species will be discovered in poorly studied regions of central Vietnam and northern and southern Laos. As many species in the genus are facing high extinction risks, several undescribed populations might already be severely threatened by human activities in both countries. Therefore, urgent taxonomic research is needed before conservation assessments of newly discovered taxa can be undertaken to protect them from anthropogenic threats.

We provide the first distribution pattern of the Microhyla heymonsi group based on available molecular and morphological data collected from East and Southeast Asia. Our analyses show a high level of genetic diversity in the M. heymonsi group with nine distinct lineages from China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, as well as Singapore, and Indonesia. The study also reveals the discovery of two new species in Vietnam, Microhyla hmongorum sp. nov. from Lai Chau Province and Microhyla xodangorum sp. nov. from Kon Tum Province. When comparing the 12S–16S rRNA gene, the genetic divergence between Microhyla xodangorum and other congeners of the Microhyla heymonsi group ranges from 7.5-- to 8.9% (M. cf. heymonsi) and approximately 8.4% between the new species and M. heymonsi s. str. from Taiwan, China. The genetic divergence between Microhyla hmongorum and its congeners ranges from 4.5–5.6% (M. cf. heymonsi) to 8.7% (Microhyla xodangorum). These new findings bring the total number of known species in the genus Microhyla to 48 and the recorded species of Microhyla from Vietnam to 14.

Overexploitation has driven catastrophic declines in most turtle species in Asia. Many turtles are seized annually by law enforcement officers; unfortunately, seized turtles often lack associated information on their provenance. There is also taxonomic confusion regarding the clear delineation of turtle species and subspecies in Asia. This lack of provenance data and taxonomic uncertainty is problematic as it may preclude release, make appropriate release sites hard to select, or result in genetic pollution when animals are released. In this study, we amassed and analyzed the largest number of genetic samples of the critically endangered big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum) to date. Our phylogenetic and network results based on nearly 500 sequences of a mitochondrial ND4 fragment corroborate the earlier hypothesis that only two of the three currently recognized subspecies have strong molecular support and that there is greater genetic structuring within one subspecies than has been previously reported. The vast majority of P. megacephalum confiscated from the trade in Vietnam belong to Subclade 3 of P. m. peguense, and this subclade is the most broadly distributed taxon of the big-headed turtle in Vietnam based on samples with known localities. Nonetheless, for the other two subclades, all their samples originate from the trade and could not be assigned to any geographic provenance because of the lack of wild-caught samples. In addition, our results reveal two trade centers of the species, Quang Ninh Province on the border between China and Vietnam and Kon Tum Province in the Central Highlands. However, smaller animal seizures occur across the range of the species in Vietnam. While the data presented here have facilitated the selection of appropriate release sites for confiscated P. megacephalum, the significant costs of genetic screening and the shortage of samples from wild animals with good localities hinder the rewilding efforts, especially for conservation practitioners working in countries where conservation activities are not well funded and research on poorly studied species is still limited. Nevertheless, we urge that wildlife translocations include robust pre-translocation genetic screening to ensure that all individual animals are reintroduced at appropriate sites.

Cloth manipulation remains a challenging problem for the robotic community. Recently, there has been an increased interest in applying deep learning techniques to problems in the fashion industry. As a result, large annotated data sets for cloth category classification and landmark detection were created. In this work, we leverage these advances in deep learning to perform cloth manipulation. We propose a full cloth manipulation framework that, performs category classification and landmark detection based on an image of a garment, followed by a manipulation strategy. The process is performed iteratively to achieve a stretching task where the goal is to bring a crumbled cloth into a stretched out position. We extensively evaluate our learning pipeline and show a detailed evaluation of our framework on different types of garments in a total of 140 recorded and available experiments. Finally, we demonstrate the benefits of training a network on augmented fashion data over using a small robotic-specific data set.

We describe a new species of Theloderma from northeastern Vietnam based on morphological differences and molecular divergence. Theloderma khoii sp. nov. is distinguishable from its congeners on the basis of a combination of the following characters: large size, SVL 52.1 mm in male, 59.4 mm in female; head length and width equal; vomerine teeth present; snout pointed and truncated, eye large, ED 4.7 mm in male, 5.6 mm in female, spinules on upper eyelid; tibiotarsal articulation reaches to the posterior border of the eye or the tip of the snout; dorsal skin very rough with large irregular gland ridges and warts, ventral surface of body granular; tips of all digits dilated but all considerably smaller than tympanum; dorsal surface mossy green or olive mottled with dark magenta. The distribution of the new species is unknown but probably extends into adjacent high elevation forested areas in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam and in Yunnan Province, China with an extent of occurrence of only

In order to improve the molecular resources available for conservation management of Madagascar's threatened ichthyofauna, we elaborated a curated database of 2860 mitochondrial sequences of the mitochondrial COI, 16S and ND2 genes of Malagasy fishes, of which 1141 sequences of freshwater fishes were newly sequenced for this data set. The data set is mostly composed of COI (2015 sequences) while 16S and ND2 sequences from partly the same samples were used to match the COI sequences to reliably identified reference sequences of these genes. We observed COI uncorrected pairwise genetic distances of 5.2‒31.0% (mean 20.6%) among species belonging to different genera, and 0.0‒22.4% (mean 6.4%) for species belonging to the same genus. Deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages of uncertain attribution were found among Malagasy freshwater eleotrids and gobiids, confirming these groups are in need of taxonomic revision. DNA barcodes assigned to introduced cichlids (tilapias) included Coptodon rendallii, C. zillii, Oreochromis aureus (apparently a new country record), O. cf. mossambicus, O. niloticus, and one undetermined species of Oreochromis, with sequences of up to three species found per location. In aplocheiloid killifishes of the genus Pachypanchax, most species from northern Madagascar had only low mitochondrial divergences, three of these species (P. omalonotus, P. patriciae, and P. varatraza) were not reciprocally monophyletic, and one genetically deviant lineage was discovered in a northern locality, suggesting a need for partial taxonomic revision of this genus. While the lack of voucher specimens for most of the samples sequenced herein precludes final conclusions, our first step towards a DNA barcoding reference library of Madagascar's fishes already demonstrates the value of such a data set for improved taxonomic inventory and conservation management. We strongly suggest further exploration of Madagascar's aquatic environments, which should include detailed photographic documentation and tissue sampling of large numbers of specimens, and collection of preserved voucher specimens as well as of living fish for the buildup of ex situ assurance populations of threatened species complying with the One Plan Approach proposed by the IUCN SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG).