The intensive land use for production (e.g., agriculture and livestock) has led to a reduction in native forests, including areas of high diversity like the Ecuadorian Chocó region. Undoubtedly, these remaining forests represent retreat sites for wildlife, especially sensitive species such as amphibians and reptiles. We sampled the herpetofauna from two remnant forests in the western region of Ecuador, which are highly impacted by human activities. Our aim was to describe diversity and ecological preferences of the herpetofauna of these remnant forests. We used active visual search to detect animals in transects along different habitats and record the characteristics of perch sites. We present an updated inventory of amphibians and reptiles for both localities, including 23 species to Pedro Franco Dávila Protected Forest and 35 species to Provincial Recreation Area Cerro De Hayas. We found significant overlap in habitat utilization between localities and a certain degree of habitat partition mainly at the microhabitat level; such segregation may allow coexistence of a representative number of species, hence the importance of protecting these forests surrounded by crops of livestock land.

El uso intensivo de la tierra para la producción (e.g., agricultura y ganadería) ha llevado a una reducción de los bosques nativos, incluyendo áreas de alta diversidad como la región del Chocó ecuatoriano. Sin lugar a duda, estos remanentes de bosque representan sitios de refugio para la vida silvestre, especialmente especies sensibles como anfibios y reptiles. Muestreamos la herpetofauna de dos bosques remanentes en la región occidental de Ecuador, áreas altamente impactadas por actividades humanas. Nuestro objetivo fue describir la diversidad y preferencias ecológicas de la herpetofauna de estos remanentes de bosque. Utilizamos la búsqueda visual para detectar animales en transectos a lo largo de diferentes hábitats, y registramos las características del sitio de la percha. Presentamos un inventario actualizado de anfibios y reptiles para ambas localidades, incluyendo 23 especies para el Bosque Protector Pedro Franco Dávila y 35 especies para el Área de Recreación Provincial Cerro De Hayas. Encontramos una superposición significativa del uso del hábitat entre las dos localidades y un cierto grado de partición, principalmente a nivel de microhábitat. Tal segregación puede permitir la coexistencia de un número representativo de especies; de ahí la importancia de proteger estos bosques rodeados de cultivos de tierras ganaderas.

Liolaemus parthenos is the only unisexual species of Pleurodonta. It is conjectured that this lizard is parthenogenetic; however, its sexual cycle and ecological and anatomical aspects inherent to its reproduction are unknown. The main objective of this study was to provide information on the monthly progression of the gonads during the active period of this species. Anatomical characteristics of the genital tract were described in specimens with different reproductive conditions. The sexual cycle of L. parthenos is seasonal, with gonadal activity concentrated between spring and summer. The ovaries and oviducts reach their maximum development in October, at the beginning of spring. Through scanning electron microscopy, five anatomical and ultrastructural regions were identified in the oviduct, none of which showed the presence of sperm. The abdominal fat body cycle was described to estimate the energetic investment in reproduction. The weight of these organs showed an inverse variation pattern relative to the gonads, with reproduction consuming most of their fat stores, followed by brumation. This study expands knowledge of the reproductive biology of Liolaemus. It indicates that L. parthenos has a reproductive pattern similar to other temperate Squamata, with a conserved gonadal dynamic compared to oviparous species in the L. darwinii group, to which it belongs. However, the hybrid origin and unisexual condition of this lizard raise new questions and highlight the need for further reproductive studies, such as identifying parental species and determining whether reproduction depends on sperm to initiate embryogenesis.

Liolaemus parthenos es la única especie unisexual en toda Pleurodonta. Se conjetura que esta lagartija es partenogenética, sin embargo, su ciclo sexual y aspectos ecológicos y anatómicos inherentes a su reproducción son desconocidos. El objetivo principal de este estudio fue proporcionar información sobre la progresión mensual de las gónadas durante el período activo de esta especie. Se describieron características anatómicas del tracto genital en ejemplares con diferente condición reproductiva. El ciclo sexual de L. parthenos es estacional, con actividad gonadal concentrada entre primavera y verano. Los ovarios y oviductos alcanzan su máximo desarrollo en octubre al inicio de la primavera. Mediante microscopía electrónica de barrido se reconocieron cinco regiones anatómicas y ultraestructurales en el oviducto, y en ninguna de ellas se constató la presencia de espermatozoides. Se describió el ciclo de cuerpos grasos abdominales para estimar la inversión energética destinada a la reproducción. El peso de estos órganos presentó un patrón de variación inverso a las gónadas, siendo la reproducción el proceso que consumió la mayor parte de sus grasas seguido por la brumación. Este trabajo aporta información novedosa que amplía el conocimiento sobre biología reproductiva del género Liolaemus. El mismo indica que L. parthenos posee un patrón reproductivo similar a otros Squamata de clima templado, con una dinámica gonadal conservada respecto a las especies ovíparas del grupo de L. darwinii, clado al cual pertenece. No obstante, el origen hibrido y condición unisexual de esta lagartija plantean nuevos interrogantes y la necesidad de mayores estudios reproductivos como identificar especies parentales, y constatar si la reproducción depende o no del esperma para iniciar la embriogénesis.

Chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has affected amphibians globally since the 1970s, being considered the main cause of their decline worldwide. The present study is the first to assess the presence of Bd in anuran populations in dry and wet tropical forests in Ceará state, northeastern Brazil. Samples were collected in different environmental landscapes throughout the dominant dry forests of the Caatinga and and the relict moist tropical forest (brejos de altitude) in the localities of the Monte Alegre Private Natural Heritage Reserve, Ibiapaba Plateau, Serra de Maranguape, Araripe Plateau, Farias Brito, and Campos Sales. The dry forests of Caatinga harbor amphibian species typical of open areas, while relict moist tropical forests possess endemic and potentially threatened species. The Caatinga is a peculiar Brazilian biome that has been neglected in scientific research and conservation efforts, highlighting the importance of our study. Anuran skin samples were collected from adults using swabs, and DNA was extracted and amplified by PCR using Bd-specific primers. In total, 125 samples were analyzed, comprising 28 species of eight anuran families, with 20 (71%) of the sampled species testing positive for Bd. This is the first record on Bd infection for Adenomera juikitam, Boana raniceps, Dendropsophus nanus, D. soaresi, Leptodactylus troglodytes, L. vastus, Physalaemus cicada, Pristimantis relictus, Proceratophrys ararype, Pseudopaludicola mystacalis and Scinax x-signatus. Particularly the Bd-positive species Proceratophrys ararype and Pristimantis relictus can be considered as greatest concern, as they were recently described and their known distribution is restricted to the high elevation relictual moist forests.

The large-eyed pit viper (Trimeresurus macrops) is a venomous snake found in Bangkok and surrounding areas that frequently bites humans. Very little is known about its reproduction. We monitored the reproductive pattern of T. macrops based on both alterations in annual macroscopic and microscopic morphologies of reproductive organs in relation to annual male testosterone and female estradiol profiles. We collected 45 males and 65 females during a year in Bangkok, central Thailand. Mating was recorded from October to January and vitellogenesis occurs between November and January. Pregnancy was observed between February and April, with parturition during May to July. Additionally, females were able to store sperm throughout the year in both sperm receptacles of the posterior infundibulum and crypts of the non-glandular uterus by means of a uterine muscular twisting. Spermiation within the testis was observed between June to November, coinciding with hypertrophy of sexual segment of the kidney (SSK). Female estradiol showed bimodal peaks: one in September, coincident with copulation, and the second in December associated with vitellogenesis. Male testosterone surged in August, coincident with spermiation and hypertrophy of SSK. Findings concluded that the reproduction of individual T. macrops in Bangkok, Thailand, is a discontinuous cyclical process as evidenced by the ovarian quiescence in adult females and the absence of vitellogenic follicles in pregnant females and fully regressed testes in adult males, while its population displays a seasonally semi-synchronous cycle, with most female individuals showing the peak of vitellogenesis in a season of the year, while the peak of spermiation occurring in two seasons of the year in most male individuals.

We describe two new species of the Boana pulchella group, nested within the B. semiguttata clade and previously referred to as Boana sp. 1 and Boana sp. 2. Both species inhabit the Atlantic Forest of Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil. Boana sp. 1 is known from Parque Nacional da Serra do Itajaí. It resembles B. joaquini and B. stellae in external morphology but is distinguishable by its snout–vent length, coloration pattern, and advertisement call. Although its call structure differs from all other B. semiguttata clade species, it is strikingly similar to that of B. marginata, a distantly related species of the B. pulchella group. Boana sp. 2 is known only from a single locality in Serra do Quiriri (municipality of Garuva). Morphologically and acoustically, it is highly similar to B. semiguttata, differing only in color pattern and DNA sequences. Like all other species of the B. semiguttata clade, both new species breed in in montane streams and exhibit hypertrophied forearms in adult males. While Boana sp. 1 occurs in a protected area within a national park, the only known locality of Boana sp. 2 is under threat of habitat loss and other anthropogenic pressures.

Lizards of the genus Tropidurus typically exhibit an omnivorous diet composed predominantly of invertebrates, flowers, and fruits. The proportion of plant material in their diet varies significantly among individuals, populations, and species, with several hypotheses proposed to explain the environmental factors driving this variation. In this study, we tested if plant material consumption increases with dehydration, supporting the hypothesis that environmental aridity promotes greater reliance on plant-based food. To test this hypothesis, we housed individuals of Tropidurus catalanensis in the laboratory and submitted the lizards to different 10-d treatments: one group was deprived of both food and water, while the other had access to water but no food. After the treatment period, all lizards were offered food equivalent to 10% of their body weight, consisting of 5% mango pieces and 5% cockroaches, for 24 h. Leftovers were weighed to quantify consumption, and lizards were then returned to terraria with ad libitum food and water for a 5-day recovery period. The experiment was then repeated with treatments reversed for each group, ensuring all lizards experienced both conditions. Our results revealed no significant difference in mango consumption between hydrated and dehydrated lizards; however, dehydrated lizards consumed fewer cockroaches, resulting in a higher proportion of mango in their diet (75%) than in the diet of hydrated lizards (53%). These findings demonstrate how short-term physiological changes, such as dehydration, can influence individual dietary preferences and alter food selection. This study suggests that plant consumption could be more common in drier environments because plant-based foods require less water for digestion, whereas high-fat and high-protein items become less viable for large-scale consumption under dehydrating conditions.

Mexico is one of the top 10 biodiverse countries in the world, with approximately 800 species of reptiles, more than half of which are endemic. Biodiverse regions tend to also have rich parasite communities, but these are often poorly known relative to their hosts. In this study, we focused on the presence of blood parasites of the genus Hepatozoon in wild-caught squamate reptiles from Mexico, employing both microscopic and molecular detection methods. A total of 298 individual squamates representing 12 families, 25 genera, and 38 species were collected during field expeditions. Gamonts of Hepatozoon spp. were detected by microscopic observation of blood smears in 38 of 295 individuals belonging to 6 families (12.9% prevalence). PCR variants of 18S rRNA of the Hepatozoon spp. from eight squamate individuals were included in phylogenetic analyses; five species of iguanids (two individuals of Ctenosaura pectinata, and one individual of Ctenosaura acanthura, Crotaphytus dickersonae, Iguana iguana, and Sauromalus ater), one helodermatid specimen (Heloderma horridum) and one colubrid specimen (Pituophis deppei). Phylogenetic analyses (Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood) revealed the existence of seven variants of the Hepatozoon parasites belonging to six main lineages, as well as showing that Hepatozoon lineages vary between hosts. In conclusion, our data represents a pilot study concerning the presence of Hepatozoon parasites in various reptile hosts from different geographical regions in Mexico.