A Taxonomic Revision Of The Litoria aurea Complex (Anura: Hylidae) In South-Eastern Australia

Four subspecies of Litoria aurea have been previously recognised in south-eastern Australia. In the present paper, it is proposed that two of these subspecies (Litoria aurea aurea and Litoria aurea raniformis) be raised to specific status as Litoria aurea and Litoria raniformis respectively; that an isolated population from the New England region of NSW be recognised as a new species Litoria flavipunctata; and that the remaining two subspecies, Litoria aurea ulongae and Litoria aurea major be synonymised with Litoria aurea and Litoria raniformia respectively. This revision in taxonomy is proposed on the basis of morphological evidence and the apparent lack of hybridisation in areas of sympatry

Time Constants of Heating and Cooling in the Eastern Water Dragon. Physignathus Lesueurii and Some Generalizations About Heating and Cooling in Reptiles

In keeping with other reptiles, core temperature of the lizard Physignathus lesueurii responds more rapidly to a step function increase in temperature than to a corresponding decrease. 2. Observations on twelve species (five families) of non-Chelonian reptiles heating and cooling in air and water show that strongly predictable relationships exist between thermal time constants and body size. Chelonia show a different pattern. 3. These observations are compared with the predictions of a simple model which, although not sufficiently complex to simulate physiological changes, provides insight into the relative importance of the physical and biological factors which underlie the observed relationships