The Herpetological Journal
The Herpetological Journal is the Society's prestigious quarterly scientific journal. Articles are listed in Biological Abstracts, Current Awareness in Biological Sciences,Current Contents, Science Citation Index, and Zoological Record.
ISSN 0268-0130
2021 Impact Factor from Clarivate for the Herpetological Journal is 1.194, an increase of 0.332 from 2020.
pdf 08. Non-lethal DNA sampling for caecilian amphibians
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Open Access
pp. 255-260
Authors: Maddock, Simon T.; Lewis, Claire J.; Wilkinson, Mark; Day, Julia J.; Morel, Charles; Kouete, Marcel & Gower, David T.J.
Abstract: For amphibians, non-lethal sampling methods have been developed and evaluated for only two of the three extant orders, with the limbless caecilians (Gymnophiona) thus far overlooked. Here we assess 16 different methods in five caecilian species representing five families with differing morphologies and ecologies. DNA was successfully extracted and amplified for multiple genetic markers using all tested methods in at least some cases although yields are, unsurprisingly, generally substantially lower than for DNA extractions from (lethally sampled) liver. Based on PCR performance, DNA yield and sampling considerations, buccal swabs, skin scrapes, blood pricks and dermal scalepocket biopsies performed the best.
Keywords: MOLECULAR, GYMNOPHIONA, CONSERVATION, AMPHIBIA, POPULATION GENETICS
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Please note that as from Volume 31 Number 1 (January 2021) on, the Herpetological Journal will be available as an online publication only - the last print edition will be Volume 30 Number 4.
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