A fish prey found in the coral snake Micrurus alleni (Serpentes: Elapidae) in Costa Rica

A fish prey found in the coral snake Micrurus alleni (Serpentes: Elapidae) in Costa Rica. The presence of a small specimen of the swamp eel Synbranchus marmoratus (84 mm total length) in the stomach contents of an adult coral snake Micrurus alleni with 692 mm total length from the Caribbean versant of Costa Rica is reported. This eel was swallowed headfirst.     

Reproductive plasticity in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Petrolisthes armatus</Emphasis> (Anomura,Porcellanidae): a comparison between a Pacific and an Atlantic population

The porcellanid crab Petrolisthes armatus, with a known geographic distribution covering a wide range of latitudes, was selected to conduct a comparative study on egg production and reproductive output between two populations from Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Ovigerous females were collected between September and November 2005 in Punta Morales, Pacific coast of Costa Rica (n = 137) and from March 2005 to July 2006 in Araçá region, São Paulo, Brazil (n = 46). The mean size of females was statistically different between both populations with larger females from Brazil than Costa Rica (7.9 ± 1.31 and 6.6 ± 0.95 mm CW, respectively). Likewise, egg production was significantly different in both populations and started in Pacific Costa Rica at a smaller female size than in Brazil. Specimens from Pacific Costa Rica produced roughly three times more eggs than equally sized females from Brazil, while newly extruded embryos were larger in Brazil than in Costa Rica (0.045 and 0.039 mm³, respectively). Egg volume increased during embryogenesis by 112.8 and 164.5% in Costa Rican and Brazilian populations, respectively. The egg water content increased steadily in both populations; however, eggs produced in Brazil contained always more water than those from the same developmental stage in Costa Rica. Average reproductive output (based on dry weight) was substantially lower in Brazil (0.031) than in Costa Rica (0.065). Our results confirm an impressive intraspecific plasticity of reproductive features in an intertidal decapod. The observed phenotypical variability might be related to local environmental conditions as well as to the location of the studied population concerning its geographic range of distribution.     

Analysis of various classical genetic markers in the Costa Rica population

A study of several loci blood groups (ABO, Diego, Duffy, Kell, Kidd, Lewis, Lutheran, MNSs, P, Rhesus and Secretor), and Hp serum protein was carried out on a sample of 2,196 unrelated Costa Rican individuals of both sexes. Data was classified and analyzed according to geographic regions. Gene frequencies and the goodness of fit to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were estimated by the maximum likelihood method. A geographic structuring was observed in the Costa Rican population. All the regions of Costa Rica show higher heterozigosity values than the ones observed in the indigenous Costa Rican groups, but similar or slightly higher than the ones observed in the Spanish populations. The genetic distance analysis evidenced that the regions of Costa Rica group close to each other in intermediate positions between the Amerindians and the Spanish, fact that is coherent with the statement that attributes a intermediate origin to the general population of Costa Rica. The data contradicts the idea that the Central region has a radically different population than the rest of the country. The outcome of these markers revealed poor values of exclusion probability in forensic and paternity cases, which confirms the importance of their replacement for DNA markers in the outlines of human identification of judicial investigation systems. These results are similar to other studies made in Latin American populations.     

Abundance and morphometry of tuberculosa Anadara and A. similis (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in the Manglar de Purruja, Dulce Gulf, Costa Rica

The density, population, length, yield and sex proportion of the mollusks Anadara tuberculosa and A. similis were studied in Bahía de Golfito, Golfo Dulce, Pacific coast of Costa Rica from February 1998 to February 1999. A. tuberculosa was more abundant (0.9 units m(-2)), than A. similis (0.2 units m(-2)); the highest abundance was found at the canal mouths. The average lengths were 43.3 mm for A. tuberculosa and 42.8 mm for A. similis (both under the Costa Rican legal minimal length for exploitation: 47 mm). Maximum lengths were measured in the middle and upstream Canal Mayor, respectively: 43.0 mm and 43.4 mm. The correlation between length and fresh weight was 0.81 (Pearson). The average total weights were 26.2 g for A. tuberculosa and 19.1 g for A. similis. The condition index (a meat yield measurement) was higher in A. similis (21.2%) than in A. tuberculosa (17.2%). The maximum yield for both species lies in the 31-35 mm range. The male ratio was 43.7%. A species recovery plan is urgent because these results suggest both a decrease in density and illegal exploitation.     

Nicaraguan population data on LDLR,GYPA, D7S8, HBGG,GC and HLA-DQA1 loci

Nicaraguans have become the most numerous and fastest increasing minority in Costa Rica: at present they represent around 6% of the total population of the country. We have analyzed the allele and genotype frequencies of six PCR-based genetic markers (LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8, GC, and HLA-DQA1) in 100 unrelated Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica. All loci studied were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Some statistical parameters of forensic interest were also calculated (h, PD and CE). Allele frequencies of the markers HLA-DQA1 and GYPA were found to be significantly different between the populations of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Nevertheless, genetic distances showed that Nicaragua is close to other Hispanic-admixed populations like those from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and USA Hispanics. The loci set was assessed to be useful for paternity testing and individual identification in the Nicaraguan population residing in Costa Rica.     

Seagrass monitoring at Perezoso, Cahuita, Costa Rica (CARICOMP site)

The seagrass of Perezoso (Cahuita National Park, Caribbean coast of Costa Rica) was monitored using the CARICOMP protocol. Productivity (2.7 +/- 1.15 g/m2/d; n=74) was intermediate, compared to other Caribbean sites. Total biomass was intermediate to high (750-1500 g/m2) at most CARICOMP sites (Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela) including Costa Rica (822.8 +/- 391.84 g/m2; n=32). Turnover rates were high (5.5 +/- 1.36%; n=74) compared to what was found in March and August at other sites. Shoot densities average 725 shoots/m2, in the Caribbean region, while in Costa Rica the value was higher (1184 +/- 335.5 shoots/m2). Average leaf length and width in the entire region were 14.4 cm and 10.6 mm, respectively, similar to what we found, but leaf area index average 3.4 m2 m(-2), higher than what was found in Costa Rica (0.92 m2 m(-2)). At Cahuita, seagrass productivity was significantly lower in March 2005 compared with the previous six years, and biomass has decreased with time. Seagrass productivity and biomass are being affected by the maximum temperatures, which increased by almost 10 degrees C from 1999 to 2005, and show a high negative correlation. Turnover rate and temperature were not correlated. Recreational boating, swimming and nutrient loading from deforested lands in the coast, the upstream rivers and local pollution are potential sources of impact to the seagrass beds at Cahuita.     

Cloacal and nasal bacterial flora of Lepidochelys olivacea (Testudines: Cheloniidae) from the North Pacific Coast of Costa Rica

Cloacal and nasal bacterial flora of Lepidochelys olivacea (Testudines: Cheloniidae) from the North Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The aerobic cloacal and nasal bacterial flora of 45 apparently healthy female olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) was studied at Nancite nesting beach, in Santa Rosa National Park (Costa Rican North Pacific) during July and August 2002. Bacterial samples were obtained by inserting sterile swabs directly into the cloaca and the nasal cavities of the turtles. Ninety-nine aerobic bacterial isolates, including 10 Gram-negative and 5 Gram-positive bacteria, were recovered. The most common bacteria cultured were Aeromonas spp. (13/45) and Citrobacter freundi (6/45) from cloacal samples and Bacillus spp. (32/45), Staphylococcus aureus (6/45) and Corynebacterium spp. (5/45) from nasal ducts. The results of the present study showed that the aerobic bacterial flora of nesting female olive ridleys was composed of several potential human and animal microbe pathogens.     

Tectonic survey of the Central Pacific coast of Costa Rica

Three fossil coral samples (Pocillopora elegans and Pocillopora damicornis) were collected from a beachrock in Puerto Escondido, central Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The age of the samples ranged from 1272+/-60 to 2010+/-60 years BP. They represent some of the few Holocene fossil corals known from the Pacific coast of the Americas. The uplift rate for the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica was calculated in 0.4 to 2.1 mm year(-1).     

A new species of hognose pitviper, genus Porthidium, from the southwestern Pacific of Costa Rica (Serpentes: Viperidae)

A new species of terrestrial pitviper, Porthidium porrasi, is described from mesophytic forests of the Península de Osa and surrounding area of the Pacific versant of southwestern Costa Rica. It is most similar to P. nasutum and is characterized by a pattern of bands, persistence of the juvenile tail color in adults, and a high number of dorsal scales. Analysis of mtDNA sequences confirms its distinction from P. nasutum. The existence of this species reinforces the notion of elevated herpetofaunal endemism in southwestern Costa Rica.     

Cucullanus costaricensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Cucullanidae), a parasite of Bagre pinnimaculatus (Siluriformes: Ariidae) from Río Tempisque, Costa Rica

A new species of nematode, Cucullanus costaricensis n. sp., is described from the Red Sea catfish Bagre pinnimaculatus from Río Tempisque, Costa Rica. The new species is characterized by the following traits: spicules and gubernaculum length (0.48 +/- 0.02 [0.45-0.50] and 0.20 +/- 0.02 [0.18-0.21], respectively); a protruding cloacal region in males, and the arrangement of caudal papillae (1 medial unpaired precloacal papilla and 10 pairs of papillae: 3 precloacals [first pair subventral and anterior to ventral sucker; second and third pairs posterior to ventral sucker; second pair asymmetric and subventral; third pair slightly subventral and closer to cloacal opening], 3 subventral adcloacal pairs [pairs 4-6], and 4 pairs of postcloacal papillae [seventh pair lateral, eighth pair subdorsal, ninth and tenth pairs subventral]); and lateral phasmids between the seventh and eighth pairs of postcloacal papillae. This finding represents the first record for a species of Cucullanus in Central America.     

Spatial Patterns of Seed Dispersal by White-Faced Capuchins in Costa Rica: Evaluating Distant-Dependent Seed Mortality

Spatial patterns of seed dispersal are the focus of numerous theoretical examinations of endozoochory. Here, we examine the spatial pattern of seed dispersal by white-faced capuchin monkeys Cebus capucinus in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica, and the neighborhood characteristics and distance variables most closely associated with seed survival and germination, and seedling survival and growth in various locations. Overall, distance to the nearest fruiting conspecific tree has the most positive, consistent effect on growth and survival variables, which supports a variation of the Janzen–Connell seed escape hypothesis.     

Tail Autotomy Plays No Important Role in Influencing Locomotor Performance and Anti‐Predator Behavior in a Cursorial Gecko

We used the frog‐eyed sand gecko (Teratoscincus scincus) as a model system to evaluate the locomotor costs of tail loss, and to examine whether tailless geckos use alternative anti‐predator behavior to compensate for the costs of tail loss. Of the 16 field‐captured geckos, eight were used as experimental animals and the remaining ones as controls. Locomotor performance, activity level and anti‐predator behavior were measured for experimental geckos before and after the tail‐removing treatment. Control geckos never undergoing the tail‐removing manipulation were measured to serve as controls for the measurements taken at the same time for experimental geckos. Experimental geckos did not differ from controls in activity level before they underwent the tail‐removing manipulation, but became less active thereafter. The mean locomotor stamina of tailless geckos was reduced by about 30% of the mean value for tailed ones. However, as the maximum stamina predicted from the laboratory trials is seldom required in nature, we expect that the costs associated with the reduced locomotor stamina may be relatively minor in T. scincus. All other examined locomotor (overall speed, maximal speed and stride length) and behavioral (distance to refuge, approach distance and flight distance) traits were not affected by the tail‐removing manipulation. Overall, our results suggest that tail autotomy plays no important role in influencing locomotor performance and anti‐predator behavior in lizards where the tail has no direct role in locomotion but is used to direct predatory strikes away from the torso.     

Helicotylenchus stylocercus n. sp. and Rotylenchus phaliurus n. sp. (Nematoda: Hoplolaimidae) from Costa Rica

Two new species of plant-parasitic nematodes from Costa Rica are described. Helicotygenchus styloeercus n. sp., from soil around roots of banana at Coto, is distinguished hy the female tail, which bears a large pillarlike ventral projection. Rotylenchus phaliurus n. sp., from soil artmnd roots of Dioscoroea sp. at Sixaola, differs from R. caudaphasmidius in having the conus equal to or more than half the spear length, and large terminal annules on the female tail.     

Checklist of the helminth parasites of vertebrates in Costa Rica

Helminth parasites of vertebrates have been studied in Costa Rica for more than 50 years. Survey work on this group of parasites is far from complete. We assembled a database with all the records of helminth parasites of wild and domestic vertebrates in Costa Rica. Information was obtained from different sources such as literature search (all published accounts) and parasite collections. Here we present a checklist with a parasite-host list as well as a host-parasite list. Up to now, 303 species have been recorded, including 81 species of digeneans, 23 monogeneans, 63 cestodes, 12 acanthocephalans, and 124 nematodes. In total, 108 species of vertebrates have been studied for helminths in Costa Rica (31 species of fishes, 7 amphibians, 14 reptiles, 20 birds, and 36 mammals). This represents only 3.8% of the vertebrate fauna of Costa Rica since about 2,855 species of vertebrates occur in the country. Interestingly, 58 species (19.1 %) were recorded as new species from Costa Rica and most of them are endemic to particular regions. Considering the valuable information that parasites provide because it is synergistic with all the information about the natural history of the hosts, helminth parasites of vertebrates in Costa Rica should be considered within any initiatives to accomplish the national inventory of biological resources. Starting with this compilation work, the Colección de Helmintos de Costa Rica (CHCR), hosted at the Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, has re-emerged and it is our hope that it will have the standards of quality to assure that it will become the national depository of helminths in the country.     

Behavioural variation in natural populations. V. Morphological correlates of locomotion in the garter snake (Thamnophis radix)

A series of morphologieal and locomotor performance variables was measured in a population of newborn garter snakes to determine whether performance capacity has a significant morphological basis in these animals. Morphological traits measured were body length and mass, number of body and tail vertebrae and numbers of vertebral abnormalities. Locomotor performances included burst and mid-distance speed and distance and time crawled before anti-predator displays were assumed. All performance variables were repeatable in daily replicate trials ( P < 0.001). Individual burst speed, mid-distance speed, and distance crawled were significantly correlated pairwise ( P < 0.01). Most morphological and performance variables had a significant mass dependence (static allometry), although the effects were rather weak ( r ² < 0.1, except for body length): larger animals performed better and had fewer abnormalities. There were significant associations between some morphological traits and locomotor performance. Morphological factors accounted for 19% of the variation in mid-distance speed and 14% of the variation in antipredator behavior by multiple regression analysis. Canonical correlation of all performance and morphological variables simultaneously accounted for 24% of the observed variation in performance. Numbers of body and tail vertebrae (assayed by scale counts) had an interactive effect on speed of locomotion.     

两种穿山甲外形量衡度的测定及比较

There are 7 species of pangolin in the world. This paper deah with the measurement of some morphology indices in Manis petadactyla and Mania javanica. Measured variables included the body weight, the total body length, the length of head and body, the length of tail,the length of protruding rim of external ear, the length of hind feet, the length of middle claws of fore feet, the length of middle claws of hind feet, the number of rows of scales round mid-body, the number of single flank scales of edge tail. All variables measured were compared respectively between this 2 species. The results indicated that: ( 1 ) there were no signifieant differences in body weight and length of hind feet between this 2 species, but differences in the other variables were extremely significant. (21 The ratio of the length of middle claws of hind feet and fore feet in Mania pentadactyla was less than 1/2 ( n = 48 ), while Mania jaw, nica was more than 1/2 ( n = 15 ) ; the length of protruding rim of external ear in Mania pentadactyla was over 10 mm { n = 38 ), whereas Manis javanica was under 10 mm { n = 13 ) ; the number of single flank scales of edge tail in Mania pentadactyla was not beyond 21 (n = 65), and Mania javanica exeeeded 21 (n = 14) . So the ratio of the length of middle claws of hind feet and fore feet, the length of protruding rim of external ear, arid the ntunber of single flank scales of edge tail should be regard as distinctive features and taxonomic indices between this 2 species. (3) The relationships between body weight ( Y) and the total body length, the length of head and body, the length of tail {X) were positive correlation, and satisfied relation equation Y= aX^b.     

Composition, growth and conditionindex for a population of Poecilia reticulata (Pisces: Poeciliidae), in a pond in Heredia, Costa Rica

A pond population of Poecilia reticulata was studied in Santo Domingo, Heredia, Costa Rica, between September and November of 1998. The sex ratio was 1:0.49 (males:females). The mean total length was 34.43 +/- 7.26 mm for females, 23.50 +/- 2.24 mm for males and 12.27 +/- 3.41 mm for juveniles. The mean total weight was 0.69 +/- 0.48 g for females: and 0.16 +/- 0.05 g for males and 0.026 +/- 0.027 g for juveniles. The total length-weight relationship for the total population was P= 6 x 10(-5) Lt 3.3272 (r2 = 0.9613). The condition index equation was K = 25.755 e(0.004Lt) (r2 = 0.8925) for females and K = 26.767 e(0.003Lt) (r2 = 0.907) for males. The mean condition index was 31.29 +/- 0.55% for females and 28.52 +/- 0.19% for males. Both sexes reached the sexual maturity when the males and females overcame the 20.00 mm and 23.5 mm of Lt respectively.     

Variation in seed and seedling traits in Pithecellobium pedicellare,a tropical rain forest tree

Summary Pithecellobium pedicellare, a mimosoid legume, is a large canopy tree in the tropical rain forests of Costa Rica. We examined the pattern of variation in seed weight, germination date, hypocotyl length (stem), and rachis length (the first leaf) of the seedlings in this species. Seeds collected from widely dispersed individual trees at the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, were randomly planted in blocks, and grown under controlled, indoor conditions for about 2 weeks. There-fore, we were able to quantify the effects of maternal family on mean seed weight and the effects of maternal family and microenvironment on the remaining traits examined. A significant effect of maternal family was detected for all traits. In particular, the maternal effects on germination date and seedling size traits which were consistently significant even after controlling the initial seed weight may indicate that the maternal effects reflect, at least to some extent, maternal genetic control over these traits. Despite overall strong maternal effects, the performance of maternal siblings, such as the rachis length, differed among blocks. The sensitivity of maternal siblings to the local environments may contribute to the maintenance of genetic variability in this highly outcrossing tropical species.     

The species of Phora (Diptera: Phoridae) of Costa Rica

The Phora of Costa Rica were reviewed and three species, all belonging to Schmitz's Group III, were recognized: P. americana Schmitz and Wirth, P. truncata new species and P. paramericana new species. Of the three species, P. americana is by far the most abundant, with the other two species being rarely collected. All specimens were collected in the central highlands of the country. The previous record of the Holarctic Region species P. stictica Meigen from Costa Rica was found to be based on a misidentification of P. truncata.