The British Herpetological Society

The Herpetological Bulletin is a quarterly publication in English. It includes full-length papers, natural history notes, book reviews, and other items of general herpetological interest. Emphasis is placed on natural history and conservation as well as captive care that includes breeding, husbandry, veterinary, and behavioural aspects.


Issue Number 166 - Winter 2023 Issue Number 166 - Winter 2023


pdf 01. Effects of different heat and light sources on the behaviour of captive reptiles

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Open Access

AUTHORS: DANIEL KANE, HAILEY STAPLETON, THOMAS GRIFFITHS & CHRISTOPHER J. MICHAELS

ABSTRACT: Reptiles are sensitive to electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths between the ultra-violet and infrared bands. Husbandry practitioners designing artificial lighting arrays should aim to provide spectra that approximate those to which a given species has become adapted in nature. This would satisfy biological needs ranging from thermoregulation and vitamin D3 photobiosynthesis to vision and communication. We evaluated the spectral outputs of two artificial lighting arrays (A & B) in their ability to provide this. Array A was designed to replicate those used as standard over the last decade in many controlled environments, while the Array B was intended to provide a more solar-like output. We measured behaviour and calculated a modified Spread of Participation Index (mSPI) for three species of reptile (turtle, lizard and snake) as the arrays were alternated in an A-B-A design (in observation periods 1, 2 and 3). Data were analysed using randomisation to deal with small sample size and repeated measures. Although in theory Array B provided a better spectrum than Array A, there were no clear patterns where behaviour and mSPI shifted going from Array A to B then reverted when going from Array B to A. However, the lizard and turtle both showed unexplained behavioural shifts, and the lizard an associated mSPI shift, when going from Array B to A. Our results demonstrate the power of combination lighting arrays to better approximate solar spectra, but also that behavioural observations may not reflect theoretical implications. We suggest reasons for this and directions for future research.


pdf 01a. Supplementary material for 01. Effects of different heat and light sources on the behaviour of captive reptiles

326 downloads

Open Access

AUTHORS: DANIEL KANE, HAILEY STAPLETON, THOMAS GRIFFITHS & CHRISTOPHER J. MICHAELS


pdf 02. Helminths associated with the threatened Alcatrazes snouted treefrog Ololygon alcatraz

34 downloads

Open Access

AUTHORS: CYBELE SABINO LISBOA, CINTHIA AGUIRRE BRASILEIRO & LUCIANO ALVES DOS ANJOS

ABSTRACT: Ololygon alcatraz is a threatened treefrog endemic to a single small island in Brazil. Research on ecological interactions for this species is scarce, and nothing is known about parasitism. Thus, we investigated the presence of macroparasites of the gastrointestinal system of O. alcatraz. We found only two types of helminth, nematodes and acanthocephalans, both in the larval stages. Our results suggest that individuals of O. alcatraz are part of these parasites’ life-cycle, using them as paratenic or intermediate hosts.


pdf 03. New records of the lovely leaf frog Phyllomedusa venusta from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia with a description of the female release call

37 downloads

Open Access

AUTHORS: ALDAIR ALBERTO BARROS-GRANADOS, JOSE LUIS PÉREZ-GONZÁLEZ, OMAR GUERRA RODRIGUEZ & LUIS ALBERTO RUEDA-SOLANO

ABSTRACT: Phyllomedusa venusta (Anura: Hylidae) is known to have a distribution in lowland areas of the Caribbean region, Magdalena Valley and northern Pacific coast of Colombia. We have discovered new records of P. venusta from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta that expand its known distribution. Additionally, we describe the release call of a female P. venusta, which consists of two series of notes of low intensity. The first has three consecutive notes and the second has five notes. The duration between the notes was measured to be 0.36 seconds ± 0.31 and there was a time interval of 8.12 seconds between the two series.


pdf 04. A potential mimic of the venomous dipsadid snake Philodryas olfersii

39 downloads

Open Access

AUTHORS: OTAVIO A.V. MARQUES & MÁRCIO BORGES-MARTINS


pdf 05. First record of the peninsula supple skink Lygosoma peninsulare in Thailand

40 downloads

Open Access

AUTHORS: HARRY WARD-SMITH & RUPERT GRASSBY-LEWIS


pdf 06. Hitchhiking freshwater clams: First report of Sphaerium nucleus attached to Lissotriton helveticus in France

41 downloads

Open Access

AUTHORS: LEA LORRAIN-SOLIGON, JEAN-MICHEL BICHAIN, FRANÇOIS BRISCHOUX & JEAN-PIERRE VACHER



pdf 08. Attempted cannibalism by adult smooth snakes Coronella austriaca in France and Switzerland

568 downloads

Open Access

AUTHORS: PRZEMYSŁAW ZDUNEK, GRÉGOIRE MEIER & GRÉGORY DESO



pdf 10. Defensive behaviour of the El Rincón stream frog Pleurodema somuncurense in Argentina

34 downloads

Open Access

AUTHORS: MELINA A. VELASCO, DAIANA P. FERRARO & FEDERICO P. KACOLIRIS


pdf 11. First record of the Mizo rain snake Smithophis atemporalis from Bangladesh

38 downloads

Open Access

AUTHORS: IFTIKER MAHAMUD, ASHIKUR RAHMAN SHOME, MD. FAZLE RABBE, M. MONIRUL H. KHAN, ADNAN AZAD, SOURAV MONDAL & MAHFUZUR RAHMAN


pdf 12. Clutch size and hatchling morphology of Parrot snake Leptophis liocercus in the north-east Atlantic Forest of Brazil

34 downloads

Open Access

AUTHORS: VANESSA DO NASCIMENTO BARBOSA, ADRIANO SOARES DA SILVA, ALERANDRO SOARES DA SILVA, ÉLIDA FRANCISCO DA SILVA, JOHN LÍNNIK, MATEUS LIMA DUTRA & FREDERICO GUSTAVO RODRIGUES FRANÇA


pdf 12a. Supplementary material for 12. Clutch size and hatchling morphology of Parrot snake Leptophis liocercus in the north-east Atlantic Forest of Brazil

35 downloads

Open Access

AUTHORS: VANESSA DO NASCIMENTO BARBOSA, ADRIANO SOARES DA SILVA, ALERANDRO SOARES DA SILVA, ÉLIDA FRANCISCO DA SILVA, JOHN LÍNNIK, MATEUS LIMA DUTRA & FREDERICO GUSTAVO RODRIGUES FRANÇA



pdf 14. Stiff-legged behaviour in the green and black poison frog Dendrobates auratus in response to simulated predation

32 downloads

Open Access

AUTHORS: KATHERINE PORRAS-BRENES, GABRIELLA CHURCH, ELIZABETH CLARK, ANNA FELLENSTEIN & RALPH A. SAPORITO


pdf 15. First record of leucism in the Italian newt Lissotriton italicus

49 downloads

Open Access

AUTHORS: MASSIMO CAPULA, GAETANO ALOISE & ANTONIO MAZZEI


pdf 16. Mindanao cross frog Oreophryne anulata found in a dormant pitcher of Nepenthes copelandii in the Philippines

35 downloads

Open Access

AUTHORS: ERL PFIAN T. MAGLANGIT, VICTOR B. AMOROSO, CLINT MICHAEL B. CLEOFE, DARYL JANE C. BORDIOS, CYLLE MARIE S. NADOZA, NOEL E. LAGUNDAY, RUSSELL EVAN L. VENTURINA & ROMEO R. PATANO JR


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