Identification of limiting climatic and geographical variables for the distribution of the tortoise Chelonoidis chilensis (Testudinidae): a baseline for conservation actions

Background. Just as for most other tortoise species, the once common Chaco tortoise, Chelonoidis chilensis (Testudinidae), is under constant threat across it distribution in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. Despite initial qualitative description of the species distribution and further individual reports of new locations for the species, there is no description of the species distribution in probabilistic terms. With this work we aim to produce an updated predictive distribution map for C. chilensis to serve as a baseline management tool for directed strategic conservation planning.Methods. We fitted a spatially expanded logistic regression model within the Bayesian framework that accounts for uncertainty on presence-only and generated pseudo-absence data into the parameter estimates. We contrast the results with reported data for the national networks of protected areas to assess the inclusion of the species in area-based conservation strategies.Results. We obtained maps with predictions of the occurrence of the species and reported the model's uncertainty spatially. The model suggests that potential suitable habitats for the species are continuous across Argentina, West Paraguay and South Bolivia, considering the variables, the scale and the resolution used. The main limiting variables were temperature-related variables, and precipitation in the reproductive period.Discussion. Given the alarming low density and coverage of protected areas over the distribution area of C. chilensis, the map produced provides a baseline to identify areas where directed strategic conservation management actions would be more efficient for this and other associated species

Sobre la presencia de Phimophis guerini (Duméril, Bibron and Duméril) (Serpentes: colubridae) en la provincia de Córdoba

Phimophis guerini (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril) Rep. Argentina, prov. de Córdoba, dpto. Punilla, Parque Siquiman (31° 21' S; 64° 30' W). Marzo de 1995. Colectores: Marcela Blangino, Margarita Chiaraviglio y Gerardo Leynaud. CZA00032 (colección de referencia Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Córdoba, Capital).Asociación Herpetológica Argentin

Sobre la presencia de Phimophis guerini (Duméril, Bibron and Duméril) (Serpentes: colubridae) en la provincia de Córdoba

Phimophis guerini (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril) Rep. Argentina, prov. de Córdoba, dpto. Punilla, Parque Siquiman (31° 21' S; 64° 30' W). Marzo de 1995. Colectores: Marcela Blangino, Margarita Chiaraviglio y Gerardo Leynaud. CZA00032 (colección de referencia Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Córdoba, Capital).Asociación Herpetológica Argentin

A new species of pitviper of the genus Bothrops (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae) from the Central Andes of South America

We describe a new species of montane pitviper of the genus Bothrops from the Cordillera Oriental of the Central Andes, distributed from southern Peru to central Bolivia. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the characteristic combination of a dorsal body color pattern consisting of triangular or subtriangular dark brown dorsal blotches, paired dark brown parallel occipital stripes, a conspicuous dark brown postocular stripe, the presence of canthorostrals in some specimens, prelacunal fused or partially fused with second supralabial, one scale usually separating internasals, rostral trapezoidal, two canthals oval to rounded, similar size or slightly larger than internasals, three or four medial intercanthals, eight to twelve intersupraoculars, intercanthals and intersupraoculars keeled and frequently slightly keeled, supraoculars oval, one to three suboculars, two to three postoculars, loreal subtriangular, two to six prefoveals, subfoveals absent, two or none postfoveals, one or two scales between suboculars and fourth supralabial, seven or eight supralabials, nine or eleven infralabials, 23-25 middorsal scales, 189-195 ventrals in females and 182-190 in males, 48-58 subcaudals in females and 54-63 in males, exceptionally undivided. The new species is apparently restricted to areas within Andean montane forests that are less humid and devoid of large trees.Fil: Timms, J.. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; EspañaFil: Chaparro Auza, Juan C.. Museo de Biodiversidad del Perú; PerúFil: Venegas, Pablo J.. Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad; PerúFil: Salazar Valenzuela, David. Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica; EcuadorFil: Scrocchi Manfrini, Gustavo Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Cuevas, Jairo. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; EspañaFil: Leynaud, Gerardo Cristhian. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Carrasco, Paola Andrea. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; Argentin

A new species of Bothrops (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae) from Pampas del Heath, southeastern Peru, with comments on the systematics of the Bothrops neuwiedi species group

We describe a new species of pitviper of the genus Bothrops from the Peruvian Pampas del Heath, in the Bahuaja-Sonene National Park. Pampas del Heath is an area of seasonally flooded savannas and a northwestern extension of the Gran Chaco Boliviano-Paraguayo. The new species is easily distinguished from its congeners by the exclusive combination of dorsal color pattern of body consisting of small C-shaped blotches, postocular stripe originating posteriorly to the eye, covering posterior supralabials, dorsum of the head with paired markings arranged symmetrically, venter cream heavily speckled with brown, prelacunal scale discrete in contact with second supralabial, three to five prefoveals, subfoveal single usually present, postfoveals absent to two, canthals two, seven intersupraoculars, one or two suboculars, two or three postoculars, seven or eight supralabials, nine to eleven infralabials, 26-27 interrictals, 23-25 middorsal scales, 172 ventrals in the female and 169-173 in males, 45 subcaudals in the female and 50 in males. We performed separate and combined phylogenetic analyses based on morphology and five mitochondrial genes and recovered the new species as a member of the Bothrops neuwiedi species group. All lineages of this clade inhabit the South American dry diagonal. This novel species of pitviper increases the known diversity of the genus Bothrops and adds to the number of described taxa from the unique and scarcely known ecosystem of Pampas del Heath.Fil: Carrasco, Paola Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Grazziotin, Felipe G.. Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo. Secretaria da Saude. Instituto Butantan; BrasilFil: Farfan, Roy Santa Cruz. Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional de; PerúFil: Koch, Claudia. Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig; AlemaniaFil: Ochoa, José A.. Museo de Biodiversidad del Perú; PerúFil: Scrocchi Manfrini, Gustavo Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Leynaud, Gerardo Cristhian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Chaparro, Juan C.. Museo de Biodiversidad del Perú; Per

Reptile species persistence under climate change and direct human threats in north-western Argentina

Protected areas have been established historically in residual places where the potential for extractive uses is low, implying that places at risk are usually underprotected. Argentina is no exception,with fewprotected areas established in productive regions that are prone to conversion. Here, using reptiles as a study group and considering the most important human threats in north-westernArgentina,we estimated priority conservation areas where we expect species to persist in the face of climate change and land conversion. Protected areas cover no more than 9% of the study region, but represent less than 15% of reptile distributions. There are great opportunities for improving the conservation status in the region by protecting only 8% more of north-western Argentina, with the level of species protection inside the protected area network increasing almost four-fold, reaching 43% of species distributions on average and 59% of the distributions of threatened reptiles. Fortunately, the highest diversity of reptiles in the region does not match the places targeted for agriculture expansion. Our findings suggest that future prioritization schemes should embrace other groups that are especially diverse in the Chaco ecoregion, which overlaps with our study area.FONCYT and SECYTUNC. RL’s research has been constantly funded by CNPq (grants #308532/2014-7, 479959/2013-7, 407094/2013-0 and 563621/2010-9), O Boticário Group Foundation for Nature Protection (grant #PROG_0008_2013) and CNCFlora. This paper is a contribution of the Brazilian Network on Global Climate Change Research funded by CNPq (grant #437167/2016-0) and FINEP (grant #01.13.0353.00). RLP acknowledges the support of the Australian Research Council

Climate Change and American Bullfrog Invasion: What Could We Expect in South America?

BACKGROUND: Biological invasion and climate change pose challenges to biodiversity conservation in the 21(st) century. Invasive species modify ecosystem structure and functioning and climatic changes are likely to produce invasive species' range shifts pushing some populations into protected areas. The American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is one of the hundred worst invasive species in the world. Native from the southeast of USA, it has colonized more than 75% of South America where it has been reported as a highly effective predator, competitor and vector of amphibian diseases. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We modeled the potential distribution of the bullfrog in its native range based on different climate models and green-house gases emission scenarios, and projected the results onto South America for the years of 2050 and 2080. We also overlaid projected models onto the South American network of protected areas. Our results indicate a slight decrease in potential suitable area for bullfrog invasion, although protected areas will become more climatically suitable. Therefore, invasion of these sites is forecasted. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: We provide new evidence supporting the vulnerability of the Atlantic Forest Biodiversity Hotspot to bullfrog invasion and call attention to optimal future climatic conditions of the Andean-Patagonian forest, eastern Paraguay, and northwestern Bolivia, where invasive populations have not been found yet. We recommend several management and policy strategies to control bullfrog invasion and argue that these would be possible if based on appropriate articulation among government agencies, NGOs, research institutions and civil society

Identificación de las zonas de riesgo ofídico en Córdoba, Argentina, mediante el programa SIGEpi Identifying areas of high risk for ophidism in Cordoba, Argentina, using SIGEpi software

OBJETIVOS: Describir la distribución de los accidentes ofídicos en la provincia de Córdoba, Argentina, identificar las zonas de mayor riesgo y analizar la utilidad del programa informático SIGEpi. MÉTODOS: Se recopiló la información relacionada con los 299 accidentes ofídicos notificados en la provincia de Córdoba entre los años 1995 y 2006, tomados del registro oficial de la Dirección de Epidemiología provincial para accidentes por animales venenosos. Para su localización geográfica se utilizó el programa informático SIGEpi. Se generaron mapas específicos que permitieron identificar, cuantificar y visualizar las zonas vulnerables y de mayor riesgo ofídico. RESULTADOS: Los accidentes se concentraron en el sector norte y oeste de la provincia. A las serpientes del género Bothrops correspondió la mayoría de los accidentes (87,7% del total). Los departamentos con mayor incidencia anual de accidentes de este tipo fueron Pocho y Río Seco ( > 10 accidentes por 100 000 habitantes). Se identificaron tres zonas de mayor riesgo ofídico: una en el extremo oeste de la provincia, una en el extremo norte y otra al norte de Bañados del Río Dulce y la laguna Mar Chiquita. CONCLUSIONES: Los accidentes ofídicos constituyen un importante problema de salud en la provincia de Córdoba, con una incidencia superior en las zonas de mayor carencia económica vinculadas al trabajo rural. El programa SIGEpi constituye una opción adecuada para estudiar problemas de salud pública y resultó eficaz para identificar las zonas de mayor riesgo ofídico.OBJECTIVES: To determine the case distribution of accidental ophidism in the Córdoba province of Argentina, identify high risk areas, and evaluate the usefulness of the SIGEpi software program (Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC, United States of America). METHODS: Information regarding the 299 cases of accidental ophidism reported in Córdoba in 1995-2006 was collected from the Provincial Epidemiology Department's official records of incidents involving venomous creatures. The SIGEpi software program was used for geographic mapping. Specific maps were produced to identify, quantify, and visualize the danger zones and areas of high risk for ophidism. RESULTS: The incidents occurred mostly in the northern and western areas of the province. Snakes of the Bothrops genus were responsible for the majority of the incidents (87.7% of the total). The departments with the highest annual incidence rates were Pocho and Río Seco ( > 10 incidents per 100 000 residents). Three ophidism high-risk zones were identified: one in far west of the province, another in the far north, and another just north of Bañados del Río Dulce and the Mar Chiquita lagoon. CONCLUSIONS: Accidental ophidism constitutes a major health problem in the Córdoba province where incidence rates are higher than those areas with more severe economic issues tied to rural labor. SIGEpi software is a reasonable choice for studying public health challenges and proved to be effective in identifying areas at high risk for ophidism

Density, population structure and activity pattern of Hydromedusa tectifera (Testudines-Chelidae) in a mountain stream of Córdoba province

Abstract. The Snake-necked Turtle (Hydromedusa tectifera) is mainly distributed in the northeastern provinces of Argentina; however, some isolated populations occur in central Córdoba. This is the first report on some ecological aspects of one of these populations. Population density and annual activity pattern were characterized at Toro Muerto Stream in the Sierras region of the Córdoba province, central Argentina. Turtles were hand-captured and sex and carapace length were determined for each individual. Mark-recapture data were used to estimate population density, variation in monthly capture rates, and sex ratios throughout the sampling months. A total of 96 turtles were captured and density was estimated at 218 individuals ha −1 . Individuals were captured all year round, but showed activity peaks in spring and summer. This seasonal pattern has also been observed in other freshwater turtles. During the mating season a higher number of males were captured, which suggested a seasonal difference in activity patterns between sexes