A new species of Pharyngodonidae (Nematoda) of Tropidurus torquatus (Squamata:Tropiduridae) from Brazil

Parapharyngodon bainae n. sp. (Nematoda:Pharyngodonidae) collected from the small intestine of Tropidurus torquatus (Squamata:Tropiduridae) is described. The new species is the 47 th species in the genus and the 14 th in the Neotropical region. The morphology of male posterior end, ovary position in females, and egg size can be used to differentiate P. bainae from the other congeneric species. Parapharyngodon rotundatus , Parapharyngodon sanisfaciecaudus , and Parapharyngodon riojensis are most closely related to P. bainae. In males of P. sanisfaciecaudus and P. rotundatus , the cloacal lip has a smooth appearance, whereas in P. bainae , males have an echinate cloacal lip. Parapharyngodon riojensis differs from P. bainae because its females have postbulbar ovaries, the eggs are larger, and the esophagi are larger in both sexes. Parapharyngodon spp. nematodes occupy an intermediate phylogenetic position among pharyngodonid parasite lineages in carnivorous and herbivorous reptiles. The average low intensity of infection for P. bainae (4.8 ± 4.6) is typically found in carnivorous reptiles. This fact and the high prevalence value (60%) can be explained by the ingestion of environmental substrata material containing parasite eggs while foraging.     

A new species of pentastomida infecting Tropidurus hispidus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) from Caatinga in Northeastern Brazil.

This article describes a new species of Brazilian Raillietiella Sambon, 1910 from lungs of Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825). Between July and October 2005 eighteen specimens of T. hispidus were actively captured with elastic rubber slings in granite outcrops (lajeiros) (06 degrees 59' S and 39 degrees 31' W) from caatinga formations in the municipality of Farias Brito, State of Ceará, Northeastern Brazil. One female and one male of T. hispidus had lungs infected by Raillietiella mottae sp. nov. (prevalence 11.1% and mean intensity of infection 6.0 +/- 1.4, range 5-7). The parasite's main diagnostic characteristics include the dimensions of sharp hooks and strongly curved or "C-shaped" male copulatory spicules with knob-like posterior projection from the base towards the inner curvature of the spicule.     

Helminth community structure of Tropidurus torquatus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) in a rocky outcrop area of Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil

The helminth community of Tropidurus torquatus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) from a rocky outcrop area located in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, was studied. Ninety-two of the 110 individuals examined (83.6%) harbored helminths. Five species were found, including 3 nematodes ( Physaloptera lutzi , Parapharyngodon bainae , and Oswaldofilaria chabaudi ), 1 unidentified cestode species, and 1 acanthocephalan cystacanth also not identified. Only the nematode species had sufficient data to perform ecological analysis, with P. lutzi exhibiting the highest prevalence (67.3%). Prevalence between male and female hosts differed only for Oswaldofilaria chabaudi , with males exhibiting the highest values. The intensities of infection by P. lutzi and O. chabaudi were different among male and female hosts, with males also exhibiting the highest values. The host body size was positively related to intensity of infection for all nematode species. Local seasonality had some influence on the helminth community structure. Host diet, sexual dimorphism, and behavior (territorialism, forage strategy) represented important factors for the structure of this parasite community. In general, the helminth community was species poor, depauperate, and non-interactive, representing a typical structure observed in lizard hosts.     

Development and differentiation of the reproductive system of Tropidurus catalanensis (Squamata: Tropiduridae)

Development and differentiation of the reproductive system in lizards begin in the embryonic period, although the stage and time of their occurrence vary according to populations and species. In this study, the events of the development and differentiation of the reproductive system of males and females of Tropidurus catalanensis were characterized during the embryonic, neonatal, and juvenile periods. Embryos at Stages 27, 34, 37, 40, and 41, neonates and juveniles, from Corrientes, Argentina, were analyzed. At Stage 27, the genital ridge was not observed but primordial germ cells were recorded in the yolk sac as well as the mesenteric mesenchyme, indicating the beginning of germ cell migration. Gonadal differentiation commenced at Stage 34. In males from Stage 37, the testes possessed seminiferous cords with Sertoli cells and spermatogonia, while in hatchlings seminiferous tubules and interstitial tissue with mature Leydig cells were present. Spermatogenesis was observed in a specimen of 51.9 mm snout-vent length, corresponding to the minimum reproductive size. In females, from Stage 37 until hatching, the ovaries had a cavernous medulla and a cortex with somatic cells and abundant oogonia. The onset of meiosis and folliculogenesis occurred in the juvenile period.     

Bat diversity of a Cerrado habitat in central Brazil

The Cerrado is considered one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world by conservation organizations. There are few studies on bat taxonomic groups for this biome. Herein we present a bat survey employing mist nets in the protected area of a private natural heritage reserve Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Pousada das Araras, located in the west-central Brazil. We investigate the hypothesis that the Cerrado habitat complexity plays a role on the different structuring forces in bat ecological communities. Bats represent a diversity of trophic levels, and they occupy a wide range of available Cerrado habitats and microhabitats. The patterns and processes we discuss represent the factors influencing coexisting species of bats in different habitats and their implications for conservation. We captured 758 individuals of 25 species belonging to four families. Phyllostomidae was the dominant family, represented by 20 species (80%). The average recapture rate was 6.2%, and the species with most proportional recapture was A. caudifer. Greater species richness was observed among bats with predominantly insectivore habits, followed by frugivores. Glossophaga soricina was a dominant species, with about 30% of the captures. There was seasonal variation relating to the number of bats captured, with greater bat frequency occurring during the wet season, although some species occurred at higher rates during the dry season, such as C. perspicillata and S. lilium. Sanguivore bats were abundant, reflecting the availability of shelters and food supply (livestock) in the surrounding area. Compared to other surveyed areas, Pousada das Araras may be considered of high species diversity, supplanting the majority of known Cerrado studied areas. Apparently Cerrado favours the occurrence of insectivore species, with emphasis on the foliage-gleaning insectivores belong to the subfamily Phyllostominae. This study indicates that apparently the conservation of the Cerrado savanna fragments can support a considerable diversity of bat species.     

Low temperature-acclimation impairs cellular migration in the adult cerebral cortex of the tropical lizard, Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) (Squamata: Tropiduridae)

The effects of different temperature-acclimations on cellular proliferation and migration were studied in the cerebral cortex of the tropical lizard, Tropidurus hispidus. Lizards were divided in two groups: warm-acclimated lizards (WALs), maintained at the temperature and photoperiod conditions of their natural habitat (mean temperature 26°C; 12:12 light:dark) and the cold-acclimated lizards (CALs), maintained at the same cycle of illumination and a mean temperature of 16°C. Animals were injected with the proliferative marker 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and euthanized fifteen or thirty days later for the immunostaining. There was no difference in the number of BrdU-positive nuclei between the experimental groups in any of the cortical layers. In CALs, the positive nuclei were found mostly close to the ependyma, whereas in WALs many positive nuclei were also found in the plexiform and cellular layers of the cortex. In CALs, BrdU-positive nuclei appeared grouped (of 2-3 nuclei), a characteristic not seen in the other group. These data suggest that temperature affects the migrating capability of the newly generated neurons in the lizard cortex, but appears not to interfere with its generation.     

New species of Allopharynx (Digenea: Plagiorchiidae) and other helminths in Uranoscodon superciliosus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) from Amazonian Brazil

Allopharynx daileyi n. sp. (Digenea: Plagiorchiidae) from the small intestine of the tropidurid lizard Uranoscodon superciliosus from Amazonian Brazil is described and illustrated. Of the 11 currently recognized species of Allopharynx, we consider Allopharynx megorchis Simha, 1961 a synonym of Allopharynx mehrai (Gogate, 1935) Price 1938 and Allopharynx puertoricensis Acholonu, 1976 a synonym of Allopharynx riopedrensis Garcia-Diaz; thus, A. daileyi becomes the 10th species assigned to the genus. The trematode species Mesocoelium monas and 2 species of Nematoda, Africana chabaudi and Cosmocerca vrcibradici, were also present.     

Feeding ecology of the lizard Tropidurus oreadicus Rodrigues 1987 (Tropiduridae) at Serra dos Carajás, Pará state, northern Brazil.

Tropidurus species commonly prey on arthropods, but they may also feed on vertebrates and plant material. The lizard Tropidurus oreadicus (Tropiduridae) is common in open vegetation habitats and generally has sexual dimorphism. In this study we analyzed the diet of T. oreadicus at Serra dos Carajás, Pará, in the north of Brazil. Snout-vent length (SVL) and jaw width (JW) were taken for 34 lizards. There was a significant difference in SVL and in JW, with males being larger than females. All lizards analyzed contained food in their stomachs. The diet of T. oreadicus at Serra dos Carajás was characterized by the consumption of a relative wide spectrum of food item categories (21 types of items), consisting of arthropods, part of one vertebrate and plant material, which characterizes the diet of a generalist predator. Volumetrically, the most important items in the diet of both sexes of T. oreadicus were flowers (M = 61.7%; F = 33%) and orthopterans (M = 1.7%; F = 3.5%). Ants were the most frequently consumed (100% for both sexes) and the most numerous (M = 94.5%; F = 89.4%) food item. Flowers also were frequently consumed (M = 91.7%; F = 54.5%), with their relative consumption differing significantly between sexes. There was not a significant sexual difference in prey volume, neither in number of preys per stomach, nor in type of prey ingested. There was no relationship between lizard jaw width and the mean volume of prey. The data showed that T. oreadicus is a relatively generalist lizard in terms of diet and that consumes large volumes of plant material, especially flowers of one species of genus Cassia.     

Seasonal and geographic variation in thermal biology of the lizard Microlophus atacamensis (Squamata: Tropiduridae)

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We studied physiological thermal adaptation in the lizard Microlophus atacamensis along a latitudinal range.     

Thermoregulatory behaviour in Tropidurus torquatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) from Brazilian coastal populations: an estimate of passive and active thermoregulation in lizards

Geographical variation in the degree of thermoregulatory behaviour of the lizard Tropidurus torquatus was studied in 10 restinga populations along approximately 1500 km of Brazilian coast. An index of thermoregulation was estimated using the difference between body and environmental (air and substrate) temperatures and the percentage of negative values for these differences (proportion of body temperatures lower than environmental temperatures). In most populations, the lizards primarily used active thermoregulation, through behavioural means, and mainly in relation to substrate temperatures. Along the restingas, the degree of active thermoregulation increased as a function of the increase in the local environmental temperatures along the restingas. Behavioural thermoregulation of T. torquatus helps the lizards to maintain their body temperatures within an optimal range in which to perform their normal daily activities.     

Biogeography of the Lizard Genus Tropidurus Wied-Neuwied, 1825 (Squamata: Tropiduridae): Distribution,Endemism, and Area Relationships in South America

Based on comprehensive distributional records of the 23 species currently assigned to the lizard genus Tropidurus, we investigated patterns of endemism and area relationships in South America. Two biogeographic methods were applied, Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE) and Brooks Parsimony Analysis (BPA). Two areas of endemism were detected by PAE: the first within the domains of the semiarid Brazilian Caatinga, which includes seven endemic species, and the second in the region of the Serranía de Huanchaca, eastern Bolivia, in which three endemic species are present. The area cladograms recovered a close relationship between the Atlantic Forest and areas of the South American open corridor. The results revealed a close relationship among the provinces Caatinga (Cerrado, Parana Forest (Pantanal+Chaco)). The uplift of the Brazilian Central Plateau in the Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene (4-2 Myr BP) has been interpreted as a major event responsible for isolation and differentiation of biotas along these areas. However, we emphasize that without the establishment of a temporal framework concerning the diversification history of Tropidurus it is premature to correlate cladogenetic events with specific time periods or putative vicariant scenarios. The limiting factors hampering the understanding of the biogeographic history of this genus include (1) the absence of temporal references in relation to the diversification of distinct clades within Tropidurus; (2) the lack of an appropriate taxonomic resolution of the species complexes currently represented by widely distributed forms; and (3) the need for a comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis. We suggest that these three important aspects should be prioritized in future investigations.     

Patterns of infestation by the trombiculid mite Eutrombicula alfreddugesi in four sympatric lizard species (genus Tropidurus) in northeastern Brazil

We studied the parasitism by the chigger mite Eutrombicula alfreddugesi on four sympatric lizard species of the genus Tropidurus in Morro do Chapéu, Bahia state, Brazil: T. hispidus, T. cocorobensis, T. semitaeniatus and T. erythrocephalus. For each species, we investigated the patterns of infestation and analyzed to which extent they varied among the hosts. We calculated the spatial niche breadth of the chigger mite on the body of each host species and the distribution of mites along the hosts' bodies for each Tropidurus species. All four species of Tropidurus at Morro do Chapéu were parasited by the chigger mite, with high (97-100%) prevalences. Host body size significantly explained the intensity of mite infestation for all species, except T. erythrocephalus. The body regions with highest intensity of infestation in the four lizard species were the mite pockets. The spacial niche width of the chigger varied consistently among the four lizards species studied being highest for T. erytrocephalus and lowest for T. cocorobensis. We conclude that the distribution and intensity with which lizards of the genus Tropidurus are infested by Eutrombicula alfreddugesi larvae results from the interaction between aspects of host morphology (such as body size and the occurrence and distribution of mite pockets) and ecology (especially microhabitat use).     

Divergent habitat use of two urban lizard species

Faunal responses to anthropogenic habitat modification represent an important aspect of global change. In Puerto Rico, two species of arboreal lizard, Anolis cristatellus and A. stratulus, are commonly encountered in urban areas, yet seem to use the urban habitat in different ways. In this study, we quantified differences in habitat use between these two species in an urban setting. For each species, we measured habitat use and preference, and the niche space of each taxon, with respect to manmade features of the urban environment. To measure niche space of these species in an urban environment, we collected data from a total of six urban sites across four different municipalities on the island of Puerto Rico. We quantified relative abundance of both species, their habitat use, and the available habitat in the environment to measure both microhabitat preference in an urban setting, as well as niche partitioning between the two different lizards. Overall, we found that the two species utilize different portions of the urban habitat. Anolis stratulus tends to use more “natural” portions of the urban environment (i.e., trees and other cultivated vegetation), whereas A. cristatellus more frequently uses anthropogenic structures. We also found that aspects of habitat discrimination in urban areas mirror a pattern measured in prior studies for forested sites in which A. stratulus was found to perch higher than A. cristatellus and preferred lower temperatures and greater canopy cover. In our study, we found that the multivariate niche space occupied by A. stratulus did not differ from the available niche space in natural portions of the urban environment and in turn represented a subset of the niche space occupied by A. cristatellus. The unique niche space occupied by A. cristatellus corresponds to manmade aspects of the urban environment generally not utilized by A. stratulus. Our results demonstrate that some species are merely tolerant of urbanization while others utilize urban habitats in novel ways. This finding has implications for long‐term persistence in urban habitats and suggests that loss of natural habitat elements may lead to nonrandom species extirpations as urbanization intensifies.     

Comparative phylogeography of codistributed species of Chilean Liolaemus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) from the central-southern Andean range

In this study, we used a recently developed supertrees method to test for shared phylogeographical signal in partially overlapping geographical ranges of lizards of the genus Liolaemus from the Andean Range in south-central Chile. We reconstruct mtDNA gene trees for three partially codistributed species ( Liolaemus tenuis, L. lemniscatus and L. pictus ), and our sampling effort is sufficient to allow statistical tests of shared signal between the combinations L. tenuis–L. pictus , and L. tenuis–L. lemniscatus . For both combinations, standardized maximum agreement subtrees scores showed statistically significant signal for shared pattern in regions of overlap, as evaluated by randomization tests ( P <  0.001 and < 0.05, respectively). The matrix representation with parsimony tree obtained from the combination of the three different gene trees revealed concordant phylogeographical associations of all species, and was consistent with the geographical association of intraspecific haploclades with three Chilean bioclimatic zones. A multidimensional scaling analysis of several climate variables showed highly significant differences among these zones, which further suggests that they may have contributed to similar patterns of intraspecific divergence across all three species. In the mesomorphic zone in Central Chile, the species L. tenuis and L. lemniscatus may have codiverged in response to shared orogenic vicariant events, which likely predominated over climatic events associated with cycles of glacial advance and retreat. In the hygromorphic zone in southern Chile, however, glacial cycles likely predominated in structuring the phylogeographical histories of L. tenuis and L. pictus , although important ecological differences between these two caution against broad generalizations at this point.     

Thermal biology of Liolaemus occipitalis (Squamata, Tropiduridae) in the coastal sand dunes of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

The thermal biology of the small sand lizard, Liolaemus occipitalis, was studied in the coastal sand dunes at Quint?o Beach (Palmares do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; 30 degrees 24' S and 50 degrees 17' W), between September, 1998 and August, 1999. Liolaemus occipitalis presented a mean body temperature of 30.89 degrees C (SD = 4.43 degrees C; min = 16.4 degrees C; max = 40.2 degrees C; N = 270), that varied on a daily and seasonal basis according to microhabitat thermal alterations. The substrate temperature was the main heat source for thermoregulation of L. occipitalis as in all seasons of the year it was responsible for the animals' temperature variation (82% of the collected lizards in the spring; 60% in the summer; 84% in the fall and 68% in the winter). The results indicate that L. occipitalis is a saxicolous, thigmothermic and heliothermic species that regulates its body temperature through behavioral mechanisms.     

Phylogenetic relationships of a new genus and species of microteiid lizard from the Atlantic forest of north-eastern Brazil (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae)

A new genus and species of a short limbed and slightly elongate gymnophthalmid lizard is described from the Atlantic rain forests of north-eastern Brazil. The new genus is also characterized by short and stout pentadactyl limbs, presence of prefrontals, absence of frontoparietals, distinctive ear opening and eyelid, two pairs of genials, a distinct collar, smooth, quadrangular, dorsal scales, quadrangular ventrals, fused postfrontal and postorbital bones, and two pairs of sternal ribs. The geographical distribution of the new taxon extends from the state of Rio Grande do Norte to the northern bank of the Rio São Francisco in the state of Alagoas. All specimens were obtained in leaf litter, an observation which agrees with the fossorial habits suggested by the body shape and massive aspect of the head of this species. A phylogenetic analysis based on external morphology, osteology, and molecular data recovered the new lizard as the sister genus to Anotosaura , and Colobosauroides as the sister group to these two.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 144 , 543−557.     

A new species of Backusella (Mucorales) from a Cerrado reserve in Southeast Brazil

Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) areas present a high number of endemic and unknown species and consequently have been included among the world’s biodiversity hotspots. After a survey of zygomycetes from Cerrado areas of the “Reserva Biológica de Mogi Guaçu” (RBMG) in São Paulo State, we have found a Mucor-like fungus that produces very large sporangiospores and clusters of giant cells visible to the naked-eye. This isolate was characterized morphologically, based on partial LSU (28S) and complete ITS rDNA sequences. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses support its inclusion within the recently emended genus Backusella.     

Sexual differences in locomotor performance in Tropidurus catalanensis lizards (Squamata: Tropiduridae) – body shape,size and limb musculature explain variation between males and females

Sexual dimorphism (SD) is the evolutionary outcome of selection acting differently on males and females. Several studies describe sexual differences in body size, although other morphological traits might be allometric between sexes and imply functional consequences. Here we test whether morphological differences between sexes in size and shape in the lizard Tropidurus catalanensis explain variation in performance of four locomotor traits. Our results show that males are larger than females and also exhibit longer limbs, longer muscles and larger muscle cross‐sectional areas, while females have longer trunks and more sharped anterior claws; males outperform females in all locomotor performances measured. Sexual differences in sprinting and climbing is related with body size, and climbing performance is also explained by limb lengths, by differences in lengths and cross‐sectional areas of specific muscles, and by interlimb distances. Between‐sex differences in exertion are also related to SD, despite associations with sharper posterior claws that are independent of sex. Grasping performance, however, is associated with some muscle and morphological parameters that are not sexually dimorphic. Together our results suggest that morphology might be under sexual selection in T. catalanensis, given that better locomotor performance likely favours male lizards in typical activities of this polygenic species, such as territory defence and female acquisition. Moreover, the longer trunks that characterize females may confer more space to accommodate eggs. On the other hand, territory defence by males probably increases their exposure to predators, resulting in a synergistic effect of sexual and natural selection in the evolution of SD in T. catalanensis.