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Elapids of the genus Micrurus actively search for their prey. Here we present new information on the foraging ecology of the aquatic coral snake Micrurus surinamensis based on observations in the western Amazon of Brazil. Eleven individuals of M. surinamensis were observed at night, four of them moving, four hunting in ambush posture, and three actively hunting. Here, we show that M. surinamensis is active mainly at night in aquatic environments and may also be active on the terrestrial environments. Land activity may be related with the search for fish which may eventually be found in this substrate, as well as with the search for water bodies, following the hydrological cycles of flooding and drought. When hunting, the snake uses both foraging modes, being able to actively search for its prey, or ambush it, by keeping the body partially in the water, with the head on the surface. Due to the greater availability of aquatic environments and available prey (fish), M. surinamensis should be more abundant in floodplain forest ecosystems. Additional field observations may help in elucidating the biology on this ecologically differentiated species within the genus Micrurus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 47 vertebrate type specimens held in the University of Otago Geology Department are catalogued in detail. A short history of the collection is followed by lists of the type specimens under the Classes Actinopterygii, Reptilia, Aves and Mammalia. A fish trace-fossil is included at the end of the Actinopterygii. Where appropriate, the name changes of the genus or species are given in chronological order. The specimens are briefly described, locality and geological age information is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Philochortus zolii is a globally endangered lizard known only from five localities scattered across North Africa. The population is thought to be decreasing, but there are almost no data about this Sahara-Sahel endemic lizard. Recently, a sixth population was found in Mauritania, at the coastal peripheral zone of the Diawling National Park, which constitutes a remarkable opportunity to gather ecological information for the first time and to plan conservation actions. Here we assess the P. zolii regional distribution in Mauritania, estimate population abundance, analyse the species activity patterns, characterise the occupied habitats, assess local threats, evaluate the national conservation status, and define an action plan for the local conservation of the species. P. zolii is locally rare and exhibits a much-localised distribution, but additional sampling is needed in other humid areas to fill out the knowledge gap on global distribution. The activity period is very restricted, limited to the central hours of the day, with low detectability and high specialisation in habitat use. The species is evaluated as Critically Endangered at the national level and is threatened by industrial and agriculture developments. These activities have degraded the suitable available habitats and hamper any dispersal possibility. Extreme climatic events related with sea-level rise could decimate the entire Mauritanian population. Any pet trade that may be stimulated by the current discovery should be carefully supervised and monitored. The discovery of this isolated population justifies that coastal habitats should be designated as integral protection zone and included inside the Diawling National Park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past ten years, the African Journal of Herpetology has published various papers regarding African Herpetology from all corners of the African continent. The journal is published twice per annum with an average of six articles per issue. Below is listed all publications, as well as taxonomic discoveries that appeared in the journal over the past decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new parareptile from the Cisuralian Pedra de Fogo Formation of north-eastern Brazil is described. Karutia fortunata gen. et sp. nov. is the first Gondwanan member of Acleistorhinidae, a clade previously known only from North America but thought to be closely related to the Russian Lanthanosuchidae. A re-examination of parareptile phylogeny indicates that lanthanosuchids are not closely related to acleistorhinids. These results are more congruent both stratigraphically and biogeographically than the previous 'lanthanosuchoid' position for acleistorhinids, as they eliminate a 15 Ma ghost lineage within parareptiles, leaving Acleistorhinidae as an exclusively Pennsylvanian/Cisuralian clade from western Pangaea. Karutia fortunata contributes to our knowledge of the early Permian diversity of Parareptilia in Gondwana, a clade previously represented only by the mesosaurid inhabitants of the Irati-Whitehill epicontinental sea in the southern portion of the supercontinent. The new parareptile joins captorhinids in the amniote record of the Pedra de Fogo Formation, improving our picture of the inland tetrapod fauna of the southern hemisphere during the Cisuralian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

William Roy Branch (1946–2018) was the most prolific Africa-based herpetologist of his era. His 659 herpetological contributions, spanning 47 years, include field and photographic guides, taxonomic revisions, phylogenies, ecological studies, annotated checklists, conservation assessments, type catalogues, notes on natural history, geographical distribution and snakebite, book reviews, editorials, obituaries, tributes and prefaces. Bill authored eight book titles, including his monumental Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa (1988, revised in 1998), The Dangerous Snakes of Africa with Steve Spawls (1995, revised in 2020) and Tortoises, Terrapins and Turtles of Africa (2008). He edited the Red Data Book – Reptiles and Amphibians (1988) and was a co-editor of its successor, the Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (2014). In addition to a corpus of faunal and systematic works, the topics of his publications also include reptile husbandry, karyology, snake hemipenes, snake venom, reptile diets and reproduction. Appendices presented here include a detailed bibliography of his herpetological publications; a chronological list of all the reptile and amphibian taxa he described; and details of patronyms named in his honour. Bill described 68 new taxa comprising 51 species (37 lizards [18 geckos], 7 chelonians, 4 snakes, 3 frogs), 15 genera (14 lizards, 1 snake), one subfamily (Platysaurinae) and one family (Xenodactylidae). Additional species bearing his name are expected to be published within the next few years. He was the most productive South Africa-based author of reptile names (65) in the modern era. As of 2020, he had been honoured by seven patronyms (one lizard, three snakes and one frog species, and a lizard and snake genus). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Scaled Sandveld Lizard Nucras scalaris Laurent, 1964 is a poorly known lacertid endemic to north-eastern Angola and is only known from the type series collected more than half a century ago. The original description provided a comprehensive morphological description, but there was a lack of information regarding its evolutionary relationships and habitat associations. A recent discovery of N. scalaris from Cusseque, Bié Province, on the central Angolan plateau provided the opportunity to address some knowledge gaps of this species. A phylogenetic analysis confirmed its distinctiveness at the species level. Despite a limited dataset, the analysis suggests that N. scalaris is sister to N. broadleyi rather than N. lalandii, the latter having been assumed to be the sister species, because of morphological similarity between them. The new record of N. scalaris represents a range extension of more than 350 km to the southwest and extends the elevation range to 1 570 m above sea level, compared to previous known localities at about 1 300 m above sea level (Alto Cuílo and Alto Chicapa, in Lunda Sul Province). The specimen also provides new information on live coloration, as well as the habitat association of grassy shrubland that is dominated by geoxylic suffrutices (the so-called 'underground forests') characteristic of the Angolan Miombo Woodlands. This new information raises the question whether poor survey data have led to an under-estimation of faunal diversity in this peculiar and overlooked vegetation type, and reinforces the need for further surveys which could highlight the importance of this habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mitogenome of the South American parthenogenetic lizard Loxopholis percarinatum Müller, 1923 (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae), a uni-bisexual species complex, was recovered for three individuals from Rio Negro region, Amazonas, Brazil. The content and order of genes are typical for vertebrate mitochondrial genomes, and we recovered 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA, and two rRNA (12S and 16S), in addition to partial fragments of the Control Region. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis with mitogenomes of selected lizard families recovered L. percarinatum with Iphisa elegans Gray, 1851, the only other Gymnophthalmidae species available in GenBank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We here describe new remains of amphibians and reptiles from the early Miocene (MN 4) of two different Greek localities, Aliveri and Karydia. The newly described material consists of urodelans, alytids, indeterminate anurans, turtles, crocodylians, lacertids, indeterminate scincomorphs, anguids, colubrids, viperids, and indeterminate snakes. The presence of the frog Latonia cf. gigantea in Greece is documented for the first time. Additionally, the presence of viperids in Aliveri implies a much wider distribution for these snakes during the early Miocene of Europe. Of special interest is the presence of a peculiar colubrid that seems to possess a hitherto unknown vertebral structure, which is herein defined as the 'paracentral ridge'. Although incomplete, the new material has important taxonomic and biogeographic implications, as it enhances our understanding of southeastern European herpetofaunas from the early Miocene, a time period that was characterised by major dispersal and extinction events and climatic change that affected the whole continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Choristodera are freshwater aquatic reptiles known from the Middle Jurassic to the Miocene. Their fossil record shows a peak in diversity in the Early Cretaceous of eastern Asia, most notably in the Jehol Biota of China but also in Japan and Mongolia. However, until now, the only Jurassic records from Asia have been rare disarticulated elements from Middle Jurassic microvertebrate sites in Transbaikalian Siberia, with a possible jaw fragment from the Late Jurassic of Xinjiang, China. Here we describe Coeruleodraco jurassicus gen. et sp. nov., a new, fully articulated choristodere skeleton from the Tiaojishan Formation of China, which is considered to be of Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) age. As such, the new specimen represents the first complete Jurassic choristodere recovered worldwide, and also provides important information on the pre-Cretaceous history of the group in eastern Asia. In its proportions and postcranial characters the new taxon resembles previously described Asian taxa such as Philydrosaurus, but it is distinct in possessing several apparently plesiomorphic characters, including a short antorbital region, paired external nares and an open lower temporal fenestra. Phylogenetic analysis places the new choristodere as the sister taxon of a non-neochoristoderan clade comprising Asian and European taxa, whereas the European Jurassic Cteniogenys becomes the sister taxon to all other Choristodera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a systematic review of the genus Anadia in Ecuador to delimit species based on several lines of evidence: external morphology, hemipenes, coloration, DNA sequences and geographical distribution. We describe a new species, Anadia buenaventura sp. nov., which is distinguished from other species of Anadia by presenting a pattern of coloration with light dorsolateral bands and paravertebral rows of dark spots, as well as fewer scales around the body. We also present new data on the distribution of Anadia petersi Oftedal and a molecular phylogeny that suggests that Anadia rhombifera (Günther) is a complex of species that requires further taxonomic work that should include material from Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitogenome of the lizard Iphisa elegans Gray, 1851 was sequenced using a shotgun approach on an Illumina HiSeq 3000 platform, providing the first mitogenome for Gymnophthalmidae. The genome was 18,622 bp long, with 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA (12S and 16S), and 22 tRNA, as well as the control region. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis including I. elegans and all other available mitogenomes of Squamata provided a tree in accordance with previous phylogenetic relationships inferred for Squamata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pappochelys extends the fossil record of Triassic stem-turtles back by some 20 million years, and provides important new insights into how and in what sequence the key features of turtles arose. It shares various derived features with the early Late Triassic stem-turtle Odontochelys, such as T-shaped ribs, a short trunk, and features of the girdles and limbs. At the same time, it is more plesiomorphic in retaining a fully diapsid skull and in lacking both neurals and a plastron with plate-like elements. Pappochelys provides important new evidence that the carapace and plastron of turtles are distinct moieties that evolved independently from each other. The skull of Pappochelys is more or less triangular in plan view. The marginal dentition comprises peg-like teeth with subthecodont implantation. Whereas the upper temporal fenestra is relatively small and rounded, the lower temporal opening is large and ventrally open. The slender vomers are fused. The vertebral column of Pappochelys comprises probably eight cervical, probably nine dorsal, two sacral, and more than 24 caudal vertebrae. The dorsal ribs have asymmetrical anterior and posterior flanges and their external surfaces are heavily ornamented. The gastralia form pairs of robust elements, one per vertebral segment. The scapula has a slender dorsal shaft and a rounded ‘acromial’ flange. The humerus has a slightly dorsally raised proximal head and a gently sigmoidal curvature. The pubis closely resembles that of Odontochelys in overall shape and has a well-developed lateral process. We performed a phylogenetic analysis using a modified character-taxon matrix (272 characters, 50 taxa) from a recent study to assess the placement of Pappochelys among amniotes. Pappochelys was found to nest among Pantestudines with Eunotosaurus and the more derived Odontochelys and Proganochelys. The diapsid affinities of turtles are well supported but it is still unresolved whether turtles are saurians or only related to the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monotypic colubrid snake genus Wallophis is revalidated and rediagnosed. Partial sequence for nuclear gene Oocyte maturation factor Mos (c-mos), mitochondrial Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4) and cytochrome b (cyt b) were used to assess phylogenetic relationship. Wallophis brachyura type species for the genus was found to be a member of the Western Palearctic clade of Colubrinae and is recovered as a sister taxa to Wallaceophis gujaratensis. Wallophis differs from Wallaceophis in an uncorrected pairwise p-distance of 17% for mitochondrial ND4 gene. Wallaceophis gujaratensis was described in three different spellings in the literature hence we here propose Wallaceophis gujaratensis as the correct spelling for the species based on provisions in the article 24.2.3. of the International Code for Zoological Nomenclature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Donald G. Broadley was one of Africa’s most prolific recent authors. He produced over 410 articles, including numerous comprehensive and detailed taxonomic reviews of lizard and snake genera. A review of his scientific publications spanning over 50 years of herpetological research reveals three phases. The first (1958-1981) saw Don describe his first new reptile and the completion of numerous important generic revisions. The second phase (1982-1991) was a period of relative taxonomic quiescence, but saw the compilation of major faunal overviews, including two books, the monographic Amphibia Zambesiaca (with J.C. Poynton, 1985-1991), and a checklist of the reptiles of Tanzania (with Kim Howell, 1991). The third and final phase of Don’s career (1992-2015) saw him at the peak of both his collaborative and authoritative stage. His outlook embraced sub-Saharan Africa, although always with a bias towards eastern and southern Africa. Appendices include: a detailed bibliography of his herpetological publications; a chronological list of all the scientific taxa he described; and details of the numerous current patronyms named in his honour. He described 123 taxa, including 115 species/subspecies and 8 genera/subgenera. As of 2016 there are 16 patronyms (five amphibians, nine reptiles and two invertebrates) named in his honour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arrangement of scutes on the carapaces of extant chelonians is very similar among species, but intraspecific deviations from typical scute patterns are common. Because intraspecific variation may relate to inbreeding depression, unfavourable egg incubation conditions and the presence of environmental pollutants, investigations of carapacial scute patterns in natural populations can enhance insight into the ecologies and survival challenges of chelonians. A population of the tortoiseHomopus signatus, inhabiting an arid range with substantial annual rainfall variation, was sampled to record carapacial scute patterns. The typical pattern ofH. signatusconsisted of five vertebral scutes, four pairs of costal scutes, a cervical and a supracaudal scute, and 12 pairs of marginal scutes. Although it was expected that size classes (i.e. representing tortoises born in different years) and sexes would have different percentages deviations from the typical scute pattern as a result of different egg incubation conditions, percentages were similar among size classes and sexes. A high percentage of 44% (25% if counts of the relatively variable marginal scutes were excluded) of all tortoises had deviant carapacial scute patterns. Since the study population was situated in a relatively pristine area and supernumerary carapacial scutes appear related to egg incubation conditions in other chelonians, the wide variation in carapacial scute patterns in wildH. signatusmay be the result of frequently challenging incubation conditions in the species’ harsh environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The genusAnatololacerta(Lacertidae) occurs mainly in Anatolia (western and southern Turkey) and on the Aegean islands Samos, Ikaria, and Rhodos. Although its taxonomy has long been debated and is currently nascent, three morphological species have been attributed to this genus:Anatololacerta anatolica, Anatololacerta oertzeni,andAnatololacerta danfordi. Here, we investigated the evolutionary history ofA. oertzeniandAnatololacerta danfordibased on both mitochondrial and nuclear markers (16S rRNA and cmos). In total, 34Anatololacertaspecimens were analyzed using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods. Our results supported the presence of four well-supported lineages: two belongs toA. oertzeniand two toA. danfordi. The temporal diversification of these lineages probably started with the divergence of the firstA. oertzenilineage from western Antalya at 7.9 Mya. The other two major splits may have occurred in early Pliocene (4.4 Mya: the divergence of the secondA. oertzenifromA. danfordi) and in late Pliocene (2.7 Mya: the divergence of the two lineages ofA. danfordi). The phylogeographical scenario suggests that the major diversification events (from late Miocene to late Pliocene) could be related with climatic oscillations (such as the late Miocene aridification and the Messinian Salinity Crisis) and tectonic movements (such as the uplift of the central Taurus mountain). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although the genusCordylushas received much recent attention, previous studies have failed to include all known species, particularly for biogeographically important taxa. Recent fieldwork targeted a previously known population ofCordylus rivaefrom the southeast of Ethiopia's Oromia region and we consequently found two individuals of this poorly documented species. We then sequenced 3 102 base pairs from both mitochondrial (12S, 16S) and nuclear (Kif24, MC1r, MYH, PRLR) gene regions for these individuals—the first ever genomic material for this taxon—and compared these data with those previously published for otherCordylusspecies. We analyzed these data using both phylogenetically relevant optimality criteria (i.e. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference) as well as distance-based methods.Cordylus rivaeforms a unique clade and groups closely with the other members of the East AfricanCordylus, particularlyC. beraducci—the closest geographic neighbour. We discuss the biogeographic and conservation implications ofC. rivae's current distribution and make some suggestions concerning future research into this poorly known species. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Numerous well-preserved skeletal remains of a distinctive armoured archosauriform reptile from the Lower Keuper (Erfurt Formation; Middle Triassic: Ladinian: Longobardian) of Baden-Württemberg (Germany) represent a new taxon,Jaxtasuchus salomonigen. et sp. nov. The dermal armour ofJaxtasuchuscomprises transverse rows of four rectangular osteoderms each in the cervical, dorsal and caudal regions, with the individual plates closely resembling those ofDoswellia kaltenbachifrom Carnian strata in North America. The long and low maxilla ofJaxtasuchusheld at least 15 teeth. The labial and lingual surfaces of the tall, only slightly recurved crowns of the maxillary teeth bear distinct vertical ridges and smooth mesial and distal carinae. The cervical region of the vertebral column is long. Phylogenetic analysis placesJaxtasuchusas the sister taxon toDoswelliain DoswelliidaesensuDesojoet al. (2011). Doswelliidae is diagnosed by the coarsely reticulate, incised ornamentation of osteoderms composed of central regular pits of subequal size and contour, and a mostly smooth anterior articular lamina on each osteoderm. The discovery ofJaxtasuchusconfirms that Doswelliidae had a wide palaeogeographical distribution during the latter half of the Triassic. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4A400628-07F3-4D1B-9CA8-336C379721FA [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article offers information on the discovery of the Telescopus (T) nigriceps snake in Kermanshah, Iran. It notes that four specimens of T. nigriceps were recorded from Iran and compared with T. tessellatus and T. fallax iberus. The study achieved two major results which include the establishment of first records for the T. nigriceps in Iran and confirmation of sympatric and parapatric relationships with the other specimens examined.

The female sex pheromone has potential a s a control tool for the Brown Treesnake,Boiga irregularisMerrem, a pest introduced into Guam. We conducted male-guided bioassays to determine whether potency of the female pheromone varied according to reproductive state and during vitellogenesis. In weekly simultaneous choice tests, we presented males with skin lipid samples from vitellogenic females, non-vitellogenic females, conspecific males, and carrier controls. The total time each sample was tongue-flicked was recorded: mean total tongue-flick time was highest for samples from vitellogenic females followed by samples from non-vitellogenic females. Pair-wise comparisons of male tongue-flick time for samples of non-vitellogenic females versus males and vitellogenic females versus non-vitellogenic females revealed differences in some weeks, but the greatest and most frequent differences were between vitellogenic females versus males. We observed no trend in the potency of the pheromone during vitellogenesis. Pheromone potency was greatest during vitellogenesis, with lesser potency retained while non-reproductive. Efforts at chemical identification of the pheromone and development of control tools should focus on material obtained from vitellogenic females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently there are 20 recognised species of the widespread lizard genus Cordylus, which is distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa's non-forested habitats from Ethiopia to South Africa. Most recent taxonomic work has focused on forms in southern Africa, where several subspecific taxa have been elevated to full species status. Herein, we focus on the widespread species Cordylus tropidosternum, which occurs from Mozambique (its type locality) to south-eastern Kenya and Tanzania, and west to Katanga Province of Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We sequenced 3 779 bp from two mitochondrial (12S, 16S) and four nuclear (MYH, Kif24, PrLR and MC1R) genes from multiple samples of C. tropidosternum and several sympatric species; these data were analysed with maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference optimality criteria. One morphologically and genetically distinct clade of Cordylus from the Marungu Plateau of Katanga Province, DRC is described as a new species. The new species was found under rocks in montane grassland, but further study is needed to assess Cordylus populations in the lowlands of Katanga. We also provide the first detailed morphometric data for the poorly known species C. angolensis, which was described from a single specimen that has since been destroyed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phylogenetic relationships and species boundaries of the diurnal geckos of the genus Gonatodes in the Guayana region are examined. Seven species of Gonatodes are recognized for the region, six of which are endemic to this region and form a monophyletic group together with G. hasemani from the southern part of the Amazon Basin. Two of the six species in this group are new to science, one of which is endemic to Venezuela and it is described here. Taxonomic accounts are provided for all the Venezuelan species of Gonatodes that are endemic to the Guayana region. The phylogenetic relationships of Gonatodes suggest that the diversity of this genus in the Guayana region has resulted mostly from in situ diversification rather than multiple colonization events by different lineages. The phylogenetic analyses also support that G. antillensis, the only nocturnal species in the genus, is indeed nested within Gonatodes, indicating re-evolution of some traits associated with nocturnal life. Finally, we comment on a recently proposed framework of temporal diversification in Gonatodes and suggest that we are still a long way from attaining a complete understanding about the systematics of this genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lower Permian fissure fill deposits near Richards Spur (a.k.a. the Fort Sill locality), Oklahoma, have produced a remarkably rich, diverse, and well-preserved assemblage of fully terrestrial tetrapods, including the parareptiles Bolosaurus grandis, Colobomycter pholeter and Delorhynchus priscus. This study describes a superbly preserved new parareptile, Microleter mckinzieorum gen. et sp. nov., recently recovered from the site. The fossil consists of a small, gracile, mostly articulated skull with an attached lower jaw. Distinct sculpturing is present consisting of small pinprick-size pits interspersed among larger round pits, with shallow grooves radiating to the edges of some of the bones, a pattern somewhat similar to both the Oklahoman parareptile Acleistorhinus and the millerettids from South Africa. Microleter also possesses a temporal fenestra, bounded by the jugal, quadratojugal, postorbital and squamosal but open ventrally. In addition to possessing a very broad palatine, there is an indication that the lacrimal reached the naris, a feature shared with more basal parareptiles. A phylogenetic analysis, using both parsimony and Bayesian algorithms, of Palaeozoic parareptiles indicates that Microleter falls fairly basally, between the millerettids and the group including Acleistorhinus and lanthanosuchids. As such this taxon fills a significant gap in our knowledge of Early Permian and basal parareptiles, with interesting implications for biogeography. Whereas previous evidence argued for an initial Gondwanan diversification of parareptiles, the early age and basal phylogenetic position of this taxon and other parareptiles from Laurasia make this hypothesis problematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diet composition of slow worms (Anguis fragilis) from a Danish population was recorded from May to September 2006. Slow worms were maintained in cool conditions (at 8°C) for a maximum of 126 h, which made approximately half of the animals regurgitate. The method worked equally well on juveniles and adults. The regurgitations revealed that the slow worms preyed on small snails, slugs, pill millipedes (Glomeris marginata), earthworms and Lepidoptera larvae. There were seasonal changes in taxon composition of the diet but no ontogenetic or sex-related differences. The food quality of selected prey types was tested on juveniles in a laboratory experiment. Mealworms gave a significantly lower gain in mass and snout-vent length than slugs, earthworms and a mix of all three prey types. A supplementary experiment revealed that slow worms from the present population completely rejected mealworms as prey. Earthworms seemed to be nutritionally inferior to molluscs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Scincella modesta (Squamata: Scincidae). This mitogenome was 17,466 bp long and encoded 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 2 non-coding regions. The overall nucleotide composition was 31.8% of A, 14.5% of G, 27.2% of T, and 26.5% of C. Phylogenetic analysis using Bayesian Inference (BI) validated the taxonomic status of S. modesta, exhibiting the close relationship with the other two species from the genus Scincella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]