有鳞目系统发生研究进展

有鳞目是现存爬行动物中种类最多的一类,分布遍及世界各地,形态多样,其一直被广泛应用于生态学、生物地理学及探讨物种进化的研究。但到目前为止有鳞目内部的系统发生关系一直存在许多争议。综述了采用古生物学、形态学、分子生物学等研究方法所提出的有鳞目系统发生关系的多种观点,以期为该类动物的系统发生研究提供参考资料。     

湖北省发现蛇类新纪录——白头蝰

2005年9月4日,在湖北省宜昌市五峰县后河国家级自然保护区后河村一农家庭院中发现一条蛇,经鉴定为白头蝰(Azemiops feae)(图1),为湖北省新纪录。白头蝰在分类上隶属爬行纲、有鳞目、蛇亚目、蝰科、白头蝰亚科、白头蝰属。该标本现保存在中国科学院动物研究所。其主要特征记述如     

中国壁虎类—新记录——瓦氏弯脚虎(Cyrtodactylus wayakonei)

该文报道壁虎科动物瓦氏弯脚虎(Cyrtodactylus wayakonei Nguyen,Kingsada,R(o)sler,Auer and Ziegler,2010)在中国的首次记录,提供了在云南所采标本的描述.新记录种与其他物种的主要区别是:上唇鳞7～8枚,下唇鳞9～10枚,腹部鳞片17～19行,背部鳞片光滑,稍有棱;肛前孔6～8个,股鳞不扩大,无股孔,尾下鳞稍扩大,尾部疣粒平滑.     

有鳞目动物鳞片表面超微结构的适应性进化

爬行动物鳞片的微结构是对环境的一种适应。本研究运用扫描电子显微镜观察了北草蜥(Takydromus septentrionalis)、脆蛇蜥(Dopasia harti)和王锦蛇(Elaphe carinata)头部、背部和腹部鳞片的微皮纹结构及感受器特征。结果表明,3个物种的微皮纹和感受器存在种间差异。北草蜥和王锦蛇背部及腹部微皮纹均为狭长带状,脆蛇蜥为不规则多边形。北草蜥和王锦蛇颔片上有感受器,北草蜥无。脆蛇蜥腹部微皮纹上无小齿状凸起,北草蜥和王锦蛇有,与北草蜥相比王锦蛇的小齿状凸起更宽更长。王锦蛇的眼部微皮纹为向上竖起的脊,而其他部位的鳞片为具有小齿状凸起的狭长带状结构。本研究共收集整理17科99种的背鳞微皮纹数据和8科25种的感受器数据,对微皮纹特征和感受器形态进行祖先重建发现,狭长带状背鳞微皮纹主要存在于蜥蜴科(Lacertidae)、游蛇科(Colubridae)和石龙子科(Scincidae)中,而鬛蜥科(Agamidae)、蛇蜥科(Anguidae)、蟒蛇科(Boidae)以及蝰蛇科(Viperidae)的大多为多边形;较原始的感受器形态为无感觉毛的透镜状,这一结构在有鳞目动物进化中发生多次演化。本研究发现蛇蜥的鳞片表面微结构更接近于蛇类动物。因此,有鳞类动物鳞片微皮纹特征和皮肤感受器的形态是对其所处环境多重压力的优化选择。     

Validation and Application of Skeletochronology for Age Determination of the Ryukyu Ground Gecko,Goniurosaurus kuroiwae （Squamata： Eublepharidae）

Skeletochronology is a method commonly used for estimating the age of amphibians and reptiles in the wild. However, the number of lines of arrested growth （LAGs） does not necessarily reflect age in some species. We validated the applicability of this method to an endangered eublepharid gecko, Goniurosaurus kuroiwae, then inferred its longevity and age structures in wild populations. We classified young geckos into three groups using previously published data for early growth： Group 1 contained hatchlings before the first winter, Group 2 contained hatchlings after the first win- ter, and Group 3 included yearlings after the second winter. LAG numbers in these groups were then compared. All individuals in Group 1 possessed a single LAG, which was considered as a hatching line. Most individuals in Groups 2 and 3 possessed one and two additional LAGs, respectively （LAG1 and LAG2）, corroborating the notion that LAGs are formed annually. A few geckos exhibited fewer LAGs than expected. Analysis of variations in LAG and marrow cavity diameter demonstrated that in animals with fewer LAGs, endosteal resorption or fusion of hatching line and LAG1 had occurred. LAG2 was never lost by endosteal resorption and was identifiable by its diameter. Thus, the age of adult geckos could be determined by counting LAGs outward from LAG2. Application of this method to wild populations re- vealed that the longevity of this species is not less than 83 months, but that almost all individuals in fragmented habitats die before 50 months, suggesting lower population sustainability in such habitats.     

云南沧源发现伊江巨蜥

巨蜥隶属爬行纲(Reptilia)有鳞目(Squamata)巨蜥科(Varanidae)巨蜥属(Varanus),全球约有70种(IUCN 2010),分布区包括非洲、南亚次大陆、东南亚至新几内亚、澳洲及印度洋岛屿(赵尔宓等1999)。巨蜥多栖息于热带或亚热带地区的河岸附近或沿海河口(赵尔宓1998,徐正强等2006)。     

大壁虎鳃节肌的解剖

本文对采用云南省元江县１９只大壁虎的鳃节肌作了系统解剖,大壁虎的鳃节肌具有强大的下颌收肌而缺少一般陆生脊椎动物所具有的颈括约肌。     

我国的蛇类

阐述了蛇类的出现和发展,指出蛇和晰蜴的的主要区别。具体介绍了蛇亚目的主要要类群及我国蛇类的多样性,对我国１０种蛇的形态结构特点和分布进行了说明最后,提出保护蛇类的重要性。     

九顶山蛇类动物资源调查及保护建议

蛇类是有鳞目蛇亚目 ( Serpentes)的爬行动物 ,是自然生态的重要组成部分 ,它的生存灭绝直接关系到自然生态环境的质量。长期以来人们过度地捕捉野生蛇类 ,使自然界中的野生蛇类数量急剧减少 ,甚至有些蛇类已濒临灭绝 ,导致自然生态环境平衡失调 ,严重影响着人类的生存繁衍。为了有效地保护蛇类资源 ,我们于 1 997年 4月至 1 999年6月组织部分专家和科研人员对九顶山区的蛇类资源进行调查 ,基本摸清该区蛇类资源的种类、分布及栖息环境状况 ,现报道如下。1　九顶山自然概况　　九顶山地处四川省德阳市西北山区 ,西北与阿坝州的茂汶羌族自治…     

Preliminary Insights into the Habitat Preferences of the Centralian Bandy Bandy （Vermicella vermiformis）（Squamata： Elapidae） in Central Australia

Bandy Bandy’s（Vermicella spp.）are a striking,black-and-white ringed genus of small elapid snakes endemic to Australia.All taxa are burrowers and little is known of their biology and ecology.We investigated the habitat preferences of the only arid-dwelling species,the centralian bandy bandy（Vermicella vermiformis）,in the MacDonnell Ranges west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.Using systematic road-cruising,we encountered 16V.vermiformis over a 12 months period between 2009 and 2010.We used logistic regression to model the occurrence of the species against a range of different habitat variables collected at multiple scales.Despite the small sample size,V.vermiformis exhibited a clear preference for acacia shrubland habitats,with acacia variables present in all AICc ranked models in the 95%confidence set.The factors driving this association,together with the preference for habitat not burnt in the most recent wildfires,may be related to the abundance of their only known prey,blind snakes（Ramphotyphlops spp.）.