Folklore and traditional ecological knowledge of geckos in Southern Portugal: implications for conservation and science

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and folklore are repositories of large amounts of information about the natural world. Ideas, perceptions and empirical data held by human communities regarding local species are important sources which enable new scientific discoveries to be made, as well as offering the potential to solve a number of conservation problems. We documented the gecko-related folklore and TEK of the people of southern Portugal, with the particular aim of understanding the main ideas relating to gecko biology and ecology. Our results suggest that local knowledge of gecko ecology and biology is both accurate and relevant. As a result of information provided by local inhabitants, knowledge of the current geographic distribution of Hemidactylus turcicus was expanded, with its presence reported in nine new locations. It was also discovered that locals still have some misconceptions of geckos as poisonous and carriers of dermatological diseases. The presence of these ideas has led the population to a fear of and aversion to geckos, resulting in direct persecution being one of the major conservation problems facing these animals. It is essential, from both a scientific and conservationist perspective, to understand the knowledge and perceptions that people have towards the animals, since, only then, may hitherto unrecognized pertinent information and conservation problems be detected and resolved

A treasure trove of endemics: two new species of snake-eyed skinks of the genus Panaspis Cope, 1868 (Squamata, Scincidae) from the Serra da Neve Inselberg, southwestern Angola

Four species of the genus Panaspis – P. cabindae, P. wahlbergii, P. maculicollis and P. mocamedensis – are currently known from Angola. The analysis of recently collected specimens from Serra da Neve Inselberg, an isolated mountain located in northern Namibe Province, revealed unexpected taxonomic diversity in the group. Using an integrative taxonomy approach based on morphological and DNA sequence data, with both mitochondrial (16S) and nuclear (RAG-1) genes, we were able to distinguish two distinct populations, described here as two new species, Panaspis ericae sp. nov. and P. mundavambo sp. nov. Both species are assumed to be endemic to the inselberg. This reinforces our notion of southwestern Angola as a hotspot of skink diversity, and highlights the urgent need for the conservation of Serra da Neve

An island in a sea of sand: a first checklist of the herpetofauna of the Serra da Neve inselberg, southwestern Angola

The Serra da Neve inselberg in Namibe Province, southwestern Angola is the second highest peak of Angola with an elevation of 2489 m. It remains one of the least explored regions in the country, despite several endemic species having been recently described from this inselberg. Here we provide an inventory of the amphibian and reptile species ocurring in Serra da Neve and compare its fauna with that of the surrounding habitats at lower elevations. We also examine the phylogenetic affinities of the inselberg taxa. A total of 59 herpetological taxa were recorded for the Serra da Neve inselberg and its immediate surroundings. These include 11 species of amphibians, belonging to nine genera and seven different families, and 48 species of reptiles, belonging to 32 genera and 12 families. Of these, one amphibian and seven reptiles from seven different genera are strictly endemic, making the inselberg the richest region in southwestern Africa with respect to strict endemics, with one endemic reptile taxa per 127 km2. Not surprisingly, most of the recorded taxa belong to clades that are endemic, or at least strongly associated, with southern Africa, but two are representatives of central African clades, and another two are more closely related to eastern African highland taxa. We also provide comments on the threats to the conservation of this endemic-rich inselberg

The Angolan bushveld lizards, genus Heliobolus Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata: Lacertidae): Integrative taxonomy and the description of two new species

The genus Heliobolus comprises four recognized species, all endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Of these, only Heliobolus lugubris occurs in southern Africa, its distribution extending from Angola in the west to Mozambique in the east and reaching as far south as parts of northern South Africa. Like many of the reptile species that occur in southern Africa, Heliobolus lugubris is poorly studied, and preliminary investigation suggested that it may contain cryptic diversity. The present work focusses on the Angolan population of H. lugubris and uses an integrative taxonomic approach based on morphological, coloration and DNA sequence data. The results indicate that some of the current and historical specimens of H. lugubris from Angola do not correspond to the nominotypical form, and that differences between specimens suggest the presence of two additional species, described here as Heliobolus bivari sp. nov. from the southernmost xeric/desertic regions and plateau of Namibe Province, southwestern Angola and H. crawfordi sp. nov. from the Serra da Neve inselberg north through the sub-desert coastal regions of northern Namibe, Benguela, and Kwanza Sul provinces. Nominotypical Heliobolus lugubris is confirmed to occur in Cuando Cubango Province, southeastern Angola

Physical Geography of the Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands

The Gulf of Guinea, in the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, has three oceanic islands that arose as part of the Cameroon Volcanic Line. From northeast to southwest these are Príncipe (139 km2), São Tomé (857 km2), and Annobón (17 km2). Although relatively close to the adjacent mainland, the islands have distinct climactic and geomorphologic characteristics, and have remained isolated throughout their geological history. Consequently, they have developed a unique biodiversity, rich in endemic species. We provide an integrated overview of the physical setting of the islands, including their geographic location, geological origin, topography, geology and soils, climate zones, and prevailing wind and ocean currents—key features that underlie the evolution of their biodiversity

A review of the Angolan House snakes, genus Boaedon Duméril, Bibron and Duméril (1854) (Serpentes: Lamprophiidae), with description of three new species in the Boaedon fuliginosus (Boie, 1827) species complex

An integrative taxonomic review of the genus Boaedon in Angola is provided. A molecular phylogeny, based on 99 genetic samples for which the mitochondrial markers 16S rRNA have been sequenced, reveals 23 monophyletic species-level groups in Africa and indicates the presence of nine species in Angola. Based on both phylogenetic and morphological data, we revalidate and designate a neotype for B. angolensis, describe three new species for Angola (e.g. B. bocagei sp. nov., B. branchi sp. nov., and B. fradei sp. nov.), revalidate B. variegatus from its synonymy with B. lineatus and designate a lectotype for this taxon, and identify B. lineatus var. lineolatus as a junior synonym of B. variegatus. The taxonomic status of the recently described B. paralineatus from Central Africa is discussed with respect to the more inclusive B. lineatus group. Moreover, we report on a new country record for Angola, namely B. mentalis, which we elevate here to full species and discuss the taxonomic status of this species in southern Africa. Finally, we provide an identification key and updated distribution maps for all Boaedon species occurring in Angola, including the Cabinda enclave.The National Science Foundation of the United States, the JRS Biodiversity Foundation, FCT, the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project and the Wild Bird Trust National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project.https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ther202021-07-08hj2021Zoology and Entomolog

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Lost in the middle of the sea, found in the back of the shelf: A new giant species of Trachylepis (Squamata: Scincidae) from Tinhosa Grande islet, Gulf of Guinea

Ceríaco, Luis M. P. (2015): Lost in the middle of the sea, found in the back of the shelf: A new giant species of Trachylepis (Squamata: Scincidae) from Tinhosa Grande islet, Gulf of Guinea. Zootaxa 3973 (3): 511-527, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3973.3.

Blanus vandellii Ceríaco & Bauer 2018, sp. nov.

<i>Blanus vandellii</i> sp. nov. <p>Figure 7; Table 2</p>Published as part of <i>Ceríaco, Luis M. P. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2018, An integrative approach to the nomenclature and taxonomic status of the genus Blanus Wagler, 1830 (Squamata: Blanidae) from the Iberian Peninsula, pp. 849-880 in Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) (J. Nat. Hist.) 52 (13 - 16)</i> on page 871, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2017.1422283, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/5174494">http://zenodo.org/record/5174494</a&gt

Trachylepis ozorii Bocage 1893

<i>Trachylepis ozorii</i> (Bocage, 1893) <p>(Fig. 11)</p> <p> <i>Mabuia Ozorii</i> Bocage 1893: 47</p> <p> <i>Mabuia Osorii</i> (Bocage 1897: 195)</p> <p> <i>Mabuya blanlingii</i> [sic] (Hallowell) (Manaças 1958: 185)</p> <p> <i>Mabuya ozorii</i> Bocage, 1893 (Bocage 1903: 59; Boulenger 1906: 205; Jesus <i>et al.</i> 2003: 20; Jesus <i>et al.</i> 2005)</p> <p> <i>Trachylepis ozorii</i> (Bocage, 1893) is one of the world’s most poorly known species of reptiles. Described in 1893 based on a single specimen collected by Francisco Newton on Annobon Island and named after Baltazar Osório (1855-1926), a Portuguese ichthyologist and naturalist at the National Museum of Lisbon, the species has been reported very few times since its description (Bocage 1897; Boulenger 1906; Jesus <i>et al.</i> 2003). According to Jesus <i>et al.</i> (2005), the species is unrelated phylogenetically to all other Gulf of Guinea oceanic island <i>Trachylepis</i>, suggesting that the ancestors of this species colonised Annobon from the continent soon after the island's emergence and not by “island-hopping”. We were not able to include any tissue samples of this species in our phylogenetic analysis However, given morphological characters, such as the spinose palms, size, scalation and colouration, we suggest that this species is closely related to <i>Trachylepis polytropis</i> (Boulenger, 1903) and <i>Trachylepis makolowodei</i> Chirio, Ineich, Schmitz & Lebreton, 2008. This hypothesis, however, requires confirmation by means of a thorough molecular study.</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> <i>Trachylepis ozorii</i> is a medium-sized skink (SVL 63.9–85.9 mm) with a tail approximately 1.8 times SVL. Large and acuminate head (HW/HL 60,7%), 21.2 % as long as SVL. Supraciliaries usually 7, sometimes 6; five labials anterior to subocular; rectangular and enlarged subocular, in direct contact with the lip and not reduced basally by the intrusion of adjacent supralabials. Prefrontals always in contact. Supranasals always separated. Midbody scales rows 34–36, paravertebral scales 58–61, with three keels on vertebral and dorsal scales. Lamellae beneath the fourth finger 15–17, beneath the fourth toe 20–23. Digital lamellae keeled and spinose.</p> <p>Back uniformly olive-green with many dark speckles and irregular dots and belly light green in alcoholpreserved specimens; infralabials and supralabials greenish, mental yellowish; absence of distinct longitudinal stripes or transverse dorsal bands. Colour in life olive-green on dorsum, with many dark speckles and irregular dots. Venter uniform yellowish-green.</p> <p> <b>Distribution.</b> This species occurs only on Annobon Island, Equatorial Guinea (Jesus <i>et al.</i> 2003).</p> <p> <b>Habitat and natural history notes.</b> Almost nothing is known about the habitat, ecology and natural history of this species. Jesus <i>et al.</i> (2003) noted that the species was common and widespread on Annobon Island, but was usually not found in wet and shaded places such as the dense forest that covers the upper slopes of the island. Boulenger (1906) stated that the species occurs from sea level to 500 m.</p>Published as part of <i>Ceríaco, Luis M. P., Marques, Mariana P. & Bauer, Aaron M., 2016, A review of the genus Trachylepis (Sauria: Scincidae) from the Gulf of Guinea, with descriptions of two new species in the Trachylepis maculilabris (Gray, 1845) species complex, pp. 284-314 in Zootaxa 4109 (3)</i> on pages 305-306, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4109.3.2, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/266320">http://zenodo.org/record/266320</a&gt