Temperature exposure and possible thermoregulation strategies in the Titicaca water frog Telmatobius culeus, a fully aquatic frog of the High Andes

Temperature has an important effect on amphibians, influencing virtually all physio logical systems. Thermoregulation is used to manage unfavourable thermal conditions, but has been poorly studied in aquatic amphibians, and no information is available for adult aquatic anurans. We studied the temperatures to which the Critically Endangered and high Andean fully aquatic Titicaca water frog Telmatobius culeus is exposed and investigated possible thermoregulation strategies of the species in the wild. We measured water temperature in different seasons, microhabitats and depths at which T. culeus is most abundant. We established transects to obtain population densities and activity patterns of the species during the day. Seasonal and daily temperature variations as well as temperature variations among depths and microhabitats were noted. These variations were associated with densities of visible T. culeus, where adult densities were higher at depths with more stable temperatures. T. culeus behaviour associated with thermo regulation strategies in the aquatic habitat included depth selection and movement of individuals between different microhabitats. Selection of microhabitat depended on the temperature at a site and the hour of the day. These results indicate possible behavioural thermoregulation strategies such as movement to different sites or basking used by a highly specialized amphibian, and provide insights into how aquatic benthic organisms use strategies for thermoregulation in aquatic heterogeneous environments. These strategies are probably also used by other aquatic organisms from the tropical Andes. Knowledge of how these organisms respond to temperature could also help to understand the impact of global warming on their status

Variación y primer registro de <i>Apostolepis multicincta</i> Harvey, 1999 (Squamata: Dipsadidae) para el departamento de Cochabamba, Bolivia

Las serpientes del género Apostolepis Cope, 1862 son un grupo de culebras fosoriales con hábitos nocturnos, usualmente de alimentación ophiophaga (Lema, 2001). Endémica de Sudamérica, con 33 especies registradas desde las Guyanas hasta el noreste de Argentina en áreas tropicales y subtropicales del este de los Andes (Uetz et al., 2014). Según Harvey (1999) y (Lema, 2001) en Bolivia se tienen registradas 9 especies: A. ambiniger (Peters, 1869), A. dorbignyi (Schlegel, 1837), A. nigrolineata (Peters, 1869), A. nigroterminata (Boulenger, 1896), A. vittata (Cope, 1887), y las endémicas de Bolivia A. breviceps (Harvey, Gonzales & Scrocchi, 2001), A. phillipsi (Harvey, 1999), A. tenuis (Ruthven, 1927) y A. multicincta (Harvey, 1999). Mediante esta publicacion brindamos el nuevo registro de A. multicincta que extiende su distribución en Bolivia hacia el este del departamento de Cochabamba, ampliando de la misma manera su rango altitudinal hasta los 2100 m.s.n.m. La distribución dentro de la ecorregión de los Bosque Secos Interandinos hace que esta especie tenga una de las mayores amenazas para su declive poblacional, la perdida de hábitat, que actualmente está causando la extinción de muchas especies en Bolivia.Asociación Herpetológica Argentina (AHA

Mussurana bicolor (Peracca, 1904) (Squamata, Colubridae): additional country records and first list of voucher specimens from Bolivia

We present country records and a list of voucher specimens for Mussurana bicolor (Peracca, 1904) (Serpentes, Colubridae) from Bolivia. There is scarce information on museum specimens and locality data from Bolivia for this species in the scientific literature. Additionally, we discuss two newly collected specimens from the Llanos de Moxos, a floodplain in the Beni Department. This account contributes to the knowledge of the northwestern distributional status of M. bicolor and summarizes available data for Bolivia

Mussurana bicolor (Peracca, 1904) (Squamata, Colubridae): additional country records and first list of voucher specimens from Bolivia

We present country records and a list of voucher specimens for Mussurana bicolor (Peracca, 1904) (Serpentes, Colubridae) from Bolivia. There is scarce information on museum specimens and locality data from Bolivia for this species in the scientific literature. Additionally, we discuss two newly collected specimens from the Llanos de Moxos, a floodplain in the Beni Department. This account contributes to the knowledge of the northwestern distributional status of M. bicolor and summarizes available data for Bolivia

Tropidurus chromatops Harvey & Gutberlet, 1998 (Squamata, Tropiduridae): first records from and range extension to the Beni Department, Bolivia

We present the first records of Tropidurus chromatops Harvey & Gutberlet, 1998 from the Beni Department (Bolivia) and extend this species’ distribution to western Bolivia by approximately 256 km in a straight line to the Beni Floodplains ecoregion. Likewise, we contribute information on some aspects of the natural history, altitude of occurrence, and the geographic distribution of T. chromatops in the Department of Beni

Dryophylax chaquensis (Bergna & Álvarez, 1993) (Serpentes, Colubridae): first record from Cochabamba Department and a geographic range extension in Bolivia

We present novel distributional information on the little-known snake species Dryophylax chaquensis (Bergna & Álvarez, 1993) in Bolivia, including the first record from Cochabamba Department. Our record extends the distribution of this species towards the Bolivian Inter-Andean Dry Forests by approximately 63 km to the west (in a straight line) from the nearest known locality in Vallegrande, Santa Cruz, Bolivia. We comment on the biogeographic distribution, altitude of occurrence, and aspects behavior and natural history of D. chaquensis in Bolivia

Cannibalism in the High Andean Titicaca water frog, Telmatobius culeus Garman, 1875

Cannibalism has been considered as an aberrant behavior, but in amphibians and reptiles, it could play a role in the biology of a population. This paper reports conspecific predation in the Titicaca Water Frog (Telmatobius culeus), as the first record of cannibalism of adults in this genus. Heterocannibalism describes cases where adults eat larvae, juveniles, and adults. The phenotypical differences between predator and prey suggest this is a case of cannibalistic polyphenism, where cannibalistic morphs seem to have features that facilitate the predation of the conspecifics. Both females and males were observed to be cannibalistic, and suggestions are proposed regarding why both sexes could benefit from cannibalism, as well as how a high density of a fully aquatic species that shares the habitat, resources, and refuges with other conspecifics increases the chances of encounters and cannibalism

Dryophylax chaquensis (Bergna & Álvarez, 1993) (Serpentes, Colubridae): first record from Cochabamba Department and a geographic range extension in Bolivia

We present novel distributional information on the little-known snake species Dryophylax chaquensis (Bergna & Álvarez, 1993) in Bolivia, including the first record from Cochabamba Department. Our record extends the distribution of this species towards the Bolivian Inter-Andean Dry Forests by approximately 63 km to the west (in a straight line) from the nearest known locality in Vallegrande, Santa Cruz, Bolivia. We comment on the biogeographic distribution, altitude of occurrence, and aspects behavior and natural history of D. chaquensis in Bolivia

Vine snakes (Oxybelis) and Sharpnose snakes (Xenoxybelis) (Squamata, Serpentes) from lowlands of Bolivia, with first records of Oxybelis inkaterra for the country

We present information on the occurrence of colubrid vine snakes (Oxybelis) and dipsadid sharpnose snakes (Xenoxybelis) from the lowlands of Bolivia. These genera have been poorly reported from Bolivia and information presented herein includes nine new record provincials from the departments of Beni, Cochabamba, La Paz, Pando, and Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Moreover, we present the first records of Oxybelis inkaterra Jadin, Jowers, Orlofske, Duellman, Blair & Murphy, 2021 from Bolivia and we extend the known range of this species by approximately 207 km (Río Sipia, La Paz) and 628 km (Campamento Guacharos, Cochabamba) southeast of the type locality (Puerto Maldonado, Peru) in South America. In addition, we present morphometric information, meristic characters, coloration pattern, ecological aspects and natural history for the three species of vine snakes (O. aeneus, O. fulgidus, O. inkaterra) and two species of sharpnose snakes (X. argenteus, X. boulengeri) from the Bolivian lowlands