Phylogeographic Structure Of Co-Distributed, Upland Lineages Of Frogs And Snakes Across Mountain Tops In Peninsular Malaysia

Kawasan pergunungan di serata dunia merupakan kawasan yang mempunyai kepelbagaian tinggi dan spesies-spesies endemik dan Semenanjung Malaysia tidak terkecuali. Struktur filogeografi tiga spesies katak gunung, Metaphrynella pollicaris, Philautus petersi dan Philautus vermiculatus dan tiga genus ular yang kebanyakannya dari kawasan pergunungan, Macrocalamus, Calamaria dan Popeia dibandingkan untuk mengenalpasti hubungan populasi allopatrik. Kerja lapangan dijalankan di beberapa lokasi tanah tinggi di seluruh semenanjung dan spesimen-spesimen dikumpul untuk perbandingan genetik. Tindakbalas rantaian polymerase (PCR) dijalankan untuk mengamplifikasi gen-gen mitokondria ND1 atau CytB, jujukan-jujukan gen disusun, dianalisis dengan analisis Bayesian dan Kebarangkalian Maksimum dan dimasukan dalam analysis integratif taxonomi bersama corak warna dan morphologi. Montane regions around the world are areas of high diversity and endemism and Peninsular Malaysia is no different. The phylogeographic structure of three species of montane frogs, Metaphrynella pollicaris, Philautus petersi and Philautus vermiculatus and three genera of largely montane snakes, Macrocalamus, Calamaria and Popeia were compared to ascertain the relationships of the different allopatric populations. Field work was conducted at various montane sites across the country and specimens were collected for genetic comparison. Following PCR amplification for the ND1 or CytB mitochondrial genes, sequences were aligned, analysed using Bayesian and Maximum likelihood analyses and included in an integrative taxonomic analysis using colour pattern and morphology

COVID-19 and civil unrest undoing steady gains in karst conservation and herpetological research in Myanmar, and an impediment to progress

The COVID-19 pandemic and political turmoil in Myanmar has dealt a severe blow to the country’s progress in herpetological research and the protection of limestone habitats. Both afflictions have reversed much of the scientific and conservation gains made in the past decade, and continue to hinder exploratory surveys and continued monitoring of threatened karst ecosystems. There is an urgent need to resume field studies and conservation efforts as soon as possible and continue enhancing the capacity of local scientific and technical staff in Myanmar

The biogeography of bent-toed geckos, Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae)

The gekkonid genus Cyrtodactylus is the third largest vertebrate genus on the planet with well over 300 species that range across at least eight biogeographic regions from South Asia to Melanesia. The ecological and morphological plasticity within the genus, has contributed to its ability to disperse across ephemeral seaways, river systems, basins, land bridges, and mountain ranges—followed by in situ diversification within specific geographic areas. Ancestral ranges were reconstructed on a mitochondrial phylogeny with 346 described and undescribed species from which it was inferred that Cyrtodactylus evolved in a proto-Himalaya region during the early Eocene. From there, it dispersed to what is currently Indoburma and Indochina during the mid-Eocene— the latter becoming the first major center of origin for the remainder of the genus that seeded dispersals to the Indian subcontinent, Papua, and Sundaland. Sundaland became a second major center of radiation during the Oligocene and gave rise to a large number of species that radiated further within Sundaland and dispersed to Wallacea, the Philippines, and back to Indochina. One Papuan lineage dispersed west to recolonize and radiate in Sundaland. Currently, Indochina and Sundaland still harbor the vast majority of species of Cyrtodactylus

Phylogenetic and multivariate analyses of Gekko smithii Gray, 1842 recover a new species from Peninsular Malaysia and support the resurrection of G. albomaculatus (Giebel, 1861) from Sumatra

An integrative taxonomic analysis of Sundaic populations of Gekko smithii from the Thai-Malaya Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo recovered four deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages that are separated by major geographic barriers (mountains and seaways). Furthermore, they bear a number of concordant statistically significant differences in meristic and morphometric features, morphospatial separation in multivariate space, and discrete differences in color pattern. Gekko smithii sensu stricto is restricted to southern Thailand south of the Isthmus of Kra and Peninsular Malaysia west of the Banjaran (mountain range) Titiwangsa, being that the type locality is on Penang Island, Penang. Gekko hulk sp. nov. is a new species from extreme southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia east of the Banjaran Titiwangsa and five east coast islands—the type locality being Pulau (island) Tioman, Pahang. Gekko cf. albofasciolatus is tentatively used to include Bornean populations west of the Iran Mountains in Sabah and Sarawak which, in the absence of molecular data, cannot unequivocally be separated morphologically from G. albofasciolatus from the type locality at Banjarmasin, Kalimantan, Indonesia east of the Iran Mountains. In the absence of molecular data, G. albomaculatus is resurrected to include mainland Sumatran, Nias Island, and Banyak Islands populations which, based on their morphology, cannot be separated from descriptions of G. albomaculatus from the type locality of Bangka Island, 15 km off the southeast coast of mainland Sumatra. Further integrative analyses of all Sumatran and Bornean populations are currently underway as well as the enigmatic Wallacean populations from Sulawesi. Data are presented that strongly suggest all references to G. smithii from Java stem from a 151 year-old misidentification of a specimen of G. gecko of unknown provenance. Additionally, there are no vouchered records of G. smithii from Myanmar. The phylogeographic patterns of Sundaic populations of the G. smithii complex are concordant with those of a plethora of other Sundaic lineages

Reptile predators of swiftlets (genus Aerodramus), with a focus on their impact on the swiftlet farming industry

We conducted a comprehensive review of literature and online records to determine the extent of reptile predation on swiftlets (genus Aerodramus), especially on commercially farmed species. Reptiles appear to be a large component of reported swiftlet predators, including six species of lizards and 16 species of snakes representing eight families and 17 genera. Predation events have been reported from India, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia, and Australia. The presence of reptile predators may negatively impact production at swiftlet farms and lead to human-wildlife conflicts. Additional research is needed to find mitigation measures so that industry stakeholders can coexist with reptiles. Further studies will likely identify additional species of reptile predators of swiftlets

Updated distribution of the Indo-Pacific Slender Gecko, Hemiphyllodactylus typus Bleeker, 1860 (Squamata, Gekkonidae), in Peninsular Malaysia and a discussion of its range expansion

Hemiphyllodactylus typus Bleeker, 1860 is a small, nocturnal, scansorial, unisexual gecko having a wide distribution throughout the archipelagos of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In Peninsular Malaysia, it was previously reported from seven localities. Since then, H. typus has been reported from several new localities based on observations from recent field surveys. The updated distribution records of H. typus in Peninsular Malaysia are compiled here, where it is now known from 18 localities

Peninsular Malaysia's first limbless lizard: a new species of skink of the genus Larutia (Böhme) from Pulau Pinang with a phylogeny of the genus

Grismer, Lee, Huat, Evan Quah Seng, Siler, Cameron D., Wood, Perry L., Grismer, Jesse L., Sah, Shahrul Anuar Mohd, Ahmad, Norhayati (2011): Peninsular Malaysia's first limbless lizard: a new species of skink of the genus Larutia (Böhme) from Pulau Pinang with a phylogeny of the genus. Zootaxa 2799: 29-40, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20213

A decade of amphibian studies (Animalia, Amphibia) at Sekayu lowland forest, Hulu Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia

Amphibians of Sekayu lowland forest have been studied more than a decade, with discoveries of new records of species showing no sign of abating between the years 2003 to 2020, indicating the remarkably rich diversity of anurans in this forest. Despite ceaseless anthropogenic activities in this area, this study successfully recorded 52 species of amphibians from 32 genera in the lowland forest of Sekayu. The species composition consisted of a single species from the family Ichthyophiidae and 51 species of anurans of 31 genera and six families. The number of species recorded has steadily increased especially during more recent surveys from 2015 to 2020. This study augments the total number of amphibian species recorded from Hulu Terengganu by ten additional species, increasing the total to 70 species for the district