Gymnophiona
91681125
High density three dimensional morphometric analyses support conserved static (intraspecific) modularity in caecilian (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) crania
Ashleigh F. Marshall, Carla Bardua, David J. Gower, Mark Wilkinson, Emma Sherratt and Anjali Goswami
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
Ashleigh F Marshall Carla Bardua David J Gower Mark Wilkinson Emma Sherratt Anjali Goswami
145952478
A new species of Microcaecilia (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae) from Guyana
A new species of caeciliid caecilian, Microcaecilia iyob sp. nov. is described based on a single specimen from Guyana that was previously assigned to M. unicolor (Dumeril, 1864) a species known with certainty only from French Guiana. The new species differs from other Microcaecilia in its pattern of annulation and/or major features of the dentition.
M Wilkinson Philippe J R Kok
198241739
Phylogenetic systematics of the Neotropical caecilian amphibian Luetkenotyphlus (Gymnophiona: Siphonopidae) including the description of a new species from the vulnerable Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Abstract Luetkenotyphlus brasiliensis has been described 168 years ago, being the only known species of that genus up till date. However, the diversity of caecilian amphibians surprises once again, with the discovery of a new species of Luetkenotyphlus from remnants of the critically threatened Atlantic Forest, in the State of Espirito Santo, Brazil. Herein we describe the new species on the basis of its morphology but also present a molecular phylogeny based on three genes (12S, 16S and COI) including more taxa of Siphonopidae together in a same phylogeny than the previous studies. Our phylogeny did not support the monophyly of Siphonops as currently defined, because Siphonops insulanus was recovered within Luetkenotyphlus, forming a monophyletic group, sister to a clade of three Siphonops spp. We have examined a specimen of S. insulanus from the type locality (Ilha de Sao Sebastiao, Sao Paulo, Brazil) revealing a shorter premaxillary maxillary tooth series in comparison to Siphonops. Based on our results, we also allocated S. insulanus to Luetkenotyphlus in order to avoid paraphyly.
Zoologischer Anzeiger
Adriano Oliveira Maciel Thiago Morais de Castro Marcelo Jose Sturaro Izadora Emanuelle Costa Silva Jordana Guimaraes Ferreira R C dos Santos Barbara Risse-Quaioto Bruno Alenkine Barboza Jane C F Oliveira Iracilda Sampaio Horacio Schneider
90886884
Life history and reproduction of the neotropical caecilian Siphonops annulatus (Amphibia, Gymnophiona, Siphonopidae) with special emphasis on parental care
Carlos Jared Pedro Luiz Mailho-Fontana Simone G S Jared Alexander Kupfer Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie M Wilkinson Marta Marta Antoniazzi
207959438
A new species of Caecilia (Gymnophiona, Caeciliidae) from the Magdalena valley region of Colombia
Abstract A new species of the genus Caecilia (Caeciliidae) from the western foothills of the Serrania de los Yariguies in Colombia is described. Caecilia pulchraserranasp. nov. is similar to C. degenerata and C. corpulenta but differs from these species in having fewer primary annular grooves and a shorter body length. With this new species, the currently recognized species in the genus are increased to 35. Mitochondrial DNA sequences, including newly sequenced terminals representing two additional, previously unanalyzed species, corroborate the phylogenetic position of the new species within Caecilia and the monophyly of the genus. This analysis also included newly sequenced terminals of Epicrionops aff. parkeri (Rhinatrematidae) and trans Andean Microcaecilia nicefori (Siphonopidae) Evidence was found for the non monophyly of the family Siphonopidae and the siphonopid genera Microcaecilia and Siphonops. The implications of these results for caecilian systematics are discussed and the status of the trans Andean populations of Caecilia degenerata is commented upon.
ZooKeys
Andres R Acosta-Galvis Mauricio Torres Paola Pulido-Santacruz
214534801
The use of visible implant elastomer to permanently identify caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona)
Identifying individual animals is important for studying populations and for the optimal management of individual animals in captivity. In the absence of natural markings that discriminate individuals, such identification may require animals to be marked by researchers. Amphibians are challenging subjects to mark due to their small size and sensitive, permeable and frequently shed skin. Visible Implant Elastomer (VIE) has been widely used to mark amphibians, but no long term study has validated this technique in caecilian amphibians. We anaesthetised and attempted to VIE mark seven Herpele squalostoma and one Microcaecilia unicolor held at ZSL London Zoo. No specimens suffered ill effects of anaesthesia or VIE injection, but mean persistence of marks was 191 days in H. squalostoma suggesting that this marking technique is not suitable for identifying individuals of this species in the long term. We were unable to inject VIE into the M. unicolor and/or the elastomer was not visible through the darkly pigmented skin. Further research is required to develop methods for long term marking of a diversity
Benjamin Tapley
91740138
Morphology and postnatal ontogeny of the dentition of Chthonerpeton indistinctum (Gymnophiona: Typhlonectidae)
Mariana Chuliver Agustin Scanferla
52973579
Musculoskeletal development of the Central African caecilian Idiocranium russeli (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Indotyphlidae) and its bearing on the re evolution of larvae in caecilian amphibians
Few detailed accounts of the developmental morphology of caecilian amphibians exist and recent studies have highlighted problems concerning the homology of some skull elements. We investigated the embryonic and post hatching development of the skeleton and musculature of Idiocranium russeli, a possibly miniaturized caecilian endemic to Cameroon. Idiocranium has been suggested to be direct developing; our results strongly support this hypothesis. The external morphology of different embryonic stages, the ossification sequence, and the configuration of the cranial muscles of I. russeli indicate heterochronic shifts of adult traits into embryonic development, as well as the loss or absence of various larval and metamorphic traits. For example, the tentacle, which plesiomorphically develops during metamorphosis, is already fully developed in late embryos. The maxilla and the palatine, which fuse to form the maxillopalatine (during metamorphosis in most biphasic species) fuse well before hatching. Muscles exclusive to the larva, such as the m. interhyoideus and m. hyomandibularis, are absent during development, whereas adult muscles including the m. genioglossus and m. cephalodorsosubpharyngeus, form during embryonic development. A larval ceratobranchial IV is present and fuses to the ceratobranchial III very early in ontogeny. In its near complete absence of larval traits during development, I. russeli resembles the Indian indotyphlid Gegeneophis ramaswamii; this similarity complicates a straightforward explanation for the re evolution of free living larvae in Seychelles indotyphlid caecilians.
Zoomorphology
Tobias Theska Mark Wilkinson David J Gower Hendrik Muller
91613252
Regurgitating Micrurus corallinus (Serpentes, Elapidae) reveals another record for the rare Caecilia Chthonerpeton aff. braestrupi (Gymnophiona, Typhlonectidae)
fossorial and medium sized elapid (SVL 213 mm to 950 mm) (Marques et al. 2001, Pontes Rocha, 2008, Silva Jr et al. 2016) It can be identified by the tricolored monad pattern (Campbell Lamar, 2004, Silva Jr et al. 2016) and is quite common in its area of occurrence (Marques et al. 2001, Argolo, 2004, Pontes Rocha, 2008) This snake can be found in parts of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. In Brazil, it occurs in the Atlantic Forest in the Southern and Southeastern states, and in forest fragments of the Northeast States (Roze, 1967, Silva Nunes, 1996, Freire, 2001, Argolo, 2004, Campbell Lamar, 2004, Wallach et al. 2014, Silva Jr et al. 2016) Similar to other congeneric species, the diet of Micrurus corallinus is composed by elongated prey (Roze, 1983; Marques Sazima, 1997; Silva Jr et al. 2016; Silva Soares Castro, 2016; Banci et al. 2017) Chthonerpeton aff. braestrupi is a Gymnophiona which belongs to the Family Typhlonectidae. This species is currently under the description process and so far had only been recorded for the region of Paracambi (State of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil) (Rocha et al. 2004) In general, Gymnophiona are poorly known due to their secretive habit and difficulty in collecting, so information about natural history, taxonomy and even areas of occurrence are scarce in the literature (Nussbaum et al. 1987; Silva et al. 2003) Beside this, Chthonerpeton species are believed to have cryptozoic, fossorial and semi aquatic habits (Nussbaum et al. 1987; Napoli et al. 2015) Here, we report a case of predation of Chthonerpeton aff. braestrupi by Micrurus corallinus as well as a new occurrence site for the Amphibian for the State of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil. On December 13, 2016, at 8:30 p.m. at the "Parque Arqueologico e Ambiental de Sao Joao Marcos" Municipality of Rio Claro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 22.8002o S, 44.0289o W; 439 m a.s.l. WGS 84) We collected a night active specimen of Micrurus corallinus (MNRJ 26777, male, SVL 310 mm, TL 46 mm) During the photograph section, this snake regurgitated a specimen of Chthonerpeton aff. braestrupi (MNRJ 91958, undetermined sex, Total length =190 mm) (Figure 1) The specimen had been ingested head first, so its anterior part was partially digested. However, identification was possible by the presence and number of annuli and the coloration pattern with a dark back and clear womb (see Nussbaum et al. 1987) Marques Sazima (1997) studied the natural history of Micrurus corallinus and found as diet Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 663 665 (2018) (published online on 24 August 2018)
Rodrigo C Gonzalez Daniel Faustino Gomes Pedro Cardoso Prado Renato Quinhones Rodrigo de Salles
58607028
A new species of Brasilotyphlus (Gymnophiona: Siphonopidae) and a contribution to the knowledge of the relationship between Microcaecilia and Brasilotyphlus.
A third species of Brasilotyphlus, a siphonopid caecilian, is described based on six specimens from two twin mountains in Roraima state, northern Brazil. Brasilotyphlus dubium sp. nov. differs from all other congeners in having a combination of 123 129 primary annuli and 9 16 secondary annular grooves. The first molecular data were generated and analyzed for Brasilotyphlus, and the genus was recovered as monophyletic and nested within a paraphyletic Microcaecilia. The extent of genetic and taxonomic sampling, and moderate phylogenetic support are not considered sufficient enough to place Brasilotyphlus in the synonymy of Microcaecilia.
Zootaxa
Larissa Lima Correia Pedro M Sales Nunes Tony Gamble Adriano Oliveira Maciel Sergio Marques-Souza Antoine Fouquet Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues Tami Mott