Ventilatory responses to temperature variation in the fresh water turtle,Mauremys caspica leprosa

A study of lung gas exchange in the fresh water turtle Mauremys caspica leprosa at normal physiological body temperatures (15, 25 and 35 °C) was extended to extreme temperatures (5 and 40 °C) to determine whether the direct relationship between body temperature and ventilatory response found in many lung-breathing ectotherms including other chelonian species was maintained. From 5 to 35 °C the lung ventilation per unit of O₂ uptake and CO₂ removed declined with temperature. Consequently, lung CO₂ partial pressure increased with temperature. Its value was maintained within narrow limits at each thermal constant, suggesting a suitable control throughout the complete ventilatory cycle. At 40 °C the ventilatory response showed the opposite trend. The ratios of ventilation to lung gas exchange increased compared to their values at 35 °C. The impact of this increased breathing-lowering the estimated mean alveolar CO₂ partial pressure-was nevertheless less than expected due to an increase in calculated physiological dead space. This suggests that the relative hyperventilation in response to hyperthermia found in Mauremys caspica leprosa is related to evaporative heat loss.Abbreviations BTPS body temperature, ambient pressure, saturated with water vapour - CTM critical thermal maximum - F_N2 fractional concentration of nitrogen - PA _CO2or PL _CO2 alveolar or lung CO₂ pressure - PA_O2or PL_O2 alveolar or lung O₂ pressure - PI_O2 inspired O₂ pressure - R respiratory exchange ratio - STPD standard temperature, standard pressure, dry - T _a ambient temperature - T _b body temperature - VA alveolar ventilation - VA/VCO₂ relative alveolar ventilation (alveolar ventilation per unit of CO₂ removed) - VO₂ O₂ uptake - VCO₂ CO₂ output - V _D anatomical dead space volume - V _D physiological dead space volume - VE/VO₂ ventilatory equivalent for O₂ - VE pulmonary ventilation or expiratory minute volume - VE/VCO₂ ventilatory equivalent for CO₂ - V _T tidal volume     

Ultrastructural changes in the thymus of the turtle Mauremys caspica in relation to the seasonal cycle

Summary Changes in the ultrastructure of the thymus of the turtle Mauremys caspica, with special reference to its non-lymphoid components, were studied in relation to the seasonal cycle. The thymic cortex contains framework-forming epithelial-reticular cells and free macrophages, while the medulla includes, in addition, mature and presumptive pro-interdigitating cells. The ultrastructural features of these cells are generally similar to those described for non-lymphoid components of the mammalian thymus. The turtle thymus undergoes cortical involution in spring, with recovery periods in May–June and during autumn. A moderate involution occurs in winter. At the beginning of spring, cortical (but not medullary) epithelial-reticular cells show degenerative changes, probably related to high levels of circulating testosterone. In spring and autumn, mature interdigitating cells are absent, but macrophages, monocytes, and pro-interdigitating cells are found. During May–June, the cortical epithelial-reticular population recovers and macrophages, monocytes, and interdigitating cells are actively phagocytic. In summer, the epithelial-reticular cells in both cortex and medulla display normal ultrastructural features; mature and immature interdigitating cells are absent and some macrophages are detected occasionally. The results suggest that non-lymphoid components of the reptilian thymus can play a role in governing T-lymphocyte differentiation, and that the thymic cortex and medulla exhibit different cycles of seasonal activity.     

Mitochondrial phylogeography of the Japanese pond turtle,Mauremys japonica (Testudines,Geoemydidae)

The phylogeography of the Japanese pond turtle, Mauremys japonica (Temminck and Schlegel, 1835), which is an endemic species in Japan, was studied by analyzing the variation in two mitochondrial DNA sequences, the cytochrome b gene and the control region. These analyses suggest that M. japonica comprises two major groups. The first one was found in the more eastern region, eastern Honshu Island and Shikoku Island, while the second was found in a western region, Kyushu Island and the Chugoku District (the westernmost part of Honshu Island). The boundary between the two groups is located in the Chugoku District. The nucleotide and haplotype diversities were very low, and these low diversities seem to have been caused by a bottleneck in the last glacial age. These results suggest that this species survived the last glacial period in two refugia, one in the central part of Honshu Island and the other one in Kyushu Island. Subsequently, population expansion took place in the postglacial period, and the groups from the two refugia extended their distribution ranges to the present boundary in the Chugoku District which represents a secondary contact zone.     

Molecular Characterization and Expression Analysis of Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 in the Asian Yellow Pond Turtle Mauremys mutica

Matrix metallopeptidase 3 is a zinc-containing proteinase that participates in tissue remodeling and immune responses. In this study, a cDNA encoding matrix metallopeptidase 3 was isolated and characterized from the Asian yellow pond turtle Mauremys mutica（designated as MaMMP3）. The MaMMP3 cDNA is 1805 bp and consists of a 5＇-untranslated region（UTR） of 56 bp, a 3＇-UTR of 243 bp, and an open reading frame（ORF） of 1506 bp encoding 481 amino acids. Homology analysis of MaMMP3 revealed that the MaMMP3 shared 25%–63% similarity to other known MMP3 sequences. The genomic sequence covers 6007 bp. Comparative analysis of the cDNA sequence revealed that the Asian yellow pond turtle MMP3 has eight exons and seven introns. The phylogenetic tree showed that the MaMMP3 is closely related to Gallus gallus MMP3 and Taeniopygia guttata MMP3. The mRNA expression of the MaMMP3 in normal group without any bacterial challenge could be detected in all studied tissues including kidney, heart, live and spleen, with the highest level in the spleen. The results of immune challenge showed that the expression level of MaMMP3 was up-regulated in the spleen and liver. These results provided an important information for studying the roles of Asian yellow pond turtle MMP3 in immunity further.     

The first confirmed records of Omani Owl,Strix butleri (A. O. Hume, 1878) (Aves: Strigidae), from Iran

Although the Omani Owl Strix butleri (A. O. Hume, 1878) was previously reported from southern Iran, this note details the first confirmed records of this species from Mashhad (Khorasan) and Jam (Bushehr) in 2015, after recent revision of the taxonomy of this species in the Middle East.     

A new species of Limnia Robineau-Desviody, 1830 (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) from Iran

A new species of the dipteran family Sciomyzidae is described from Iran: Limnia kassebeeri sp. n., which is similar to L. unguicornis (Scopoli, 1763) and L. paludicola Elberg, 1965, but differs from them by the reticulate pattern on the anal cell, the presence of one small seta on the anepisternum, in addition to fine hairs and the features of the genitalia.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FCD0AD91-E21D-44CA-9D11-90DE5A92F52D     

Conservation genetics and phylogeography of the poorly known Middle Eastern terrapin Mauremys caspica (Testudines: Geoemydidae)

The West Asian stripe-necked terrapin Mauremys caspica is widespread throughout the Middle East—a region for which only few phylogeographic studies are available. Due to landscape alteration, pollution and intensification of water management, M. caspica is increasingly threatened. However, genetic diversity among and within populations is poorly known, impeding the identification of management units. Using a nearly rangewide sampling, we analyzed 14 microsatellite loci and mtDNA sequences in order to gain insight into the population structure and history of M. caspica. In agreement with a previous study, we found two clusters of mitochondrial haplotypes, with one cluster distributed in the east and the other in the west of the range. However, our microsatellite data suggested a more pronounced geographical structuring. When null alleles were coded as recessive with structure 2.3.2, three clusters were revealed, with one cluster matching roughly the range of the western mitochondrial cluster, and the composite ranges of the two other microsatellite clusters correspond to the distribution of the eastern mitochondrial cluster. Naïve structure analyses without correction for null alleles were congruent with respect to the two eastern microsatellite clusters, but subdivided the western cluster into two units, with an additional geographical divide corresponding to the ‘Anatolian diagonal’—a well-known high mountain barrier impeding exchange between western and eastern taxa. In naïve analyses, the westernmost microsatellite cluster (from Central Anatolia) is quite isolated from the others, and its distinctness is also supported by fixation indices resembling the values among the other three clusters. One of the two eastern clusters is distributed in the Caucasus region plus Iran, and terrapins from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain constitute the second eastern cluster, supporting the view that these endangered populations are native. Coalescent-based analyses of our microsatellite data reveal for all four clusters bottlenecks 4,000–20,000 years ago, suggesting that climatic fluctuations of the Late Pleistocene and Holocene played an important role in shaping current genetic diversity. We propose that each of the four identified clusters, including the Central Anatolian one, should be treated as a distinct management unit. The presence of non-native terrapins in the animal trade of Bahrain highlights the danger of genetic pollution of the endangered Arabian populations. Further sampling is needed to elucidate the situation in southern and central Iran and Iraq. Our results confirm that genetic data do not support the validity of any of the three morphologically defined subspecies of M. caspica, and we propose that their usage be abandoned.     

Sexual dimorphism of the European Pond Turtle,Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758), in Anzali Lagoon,Iran (Reptilia: Emydidae)

The morphometric characteristics of the European Pond Turtle, Emys orbicularis, were studied at Anzali lagoon on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Males were on average (N=249) with 272.0?g significantly lighter than females with 447.0?g, and average carapace length was significantly smaller (123.0?mm in males, 139.0 in females). Females exceeded males also in all other studied characters (carapace width, plastron length, plastron width, and scute height). The sex ratio of male to female was 1 to 1.03, and the comparison of total tail length and cloaca-tail tip length revealed a difference between the position of the cloaca in both sexes, a character useful for sex determination in this species.     

Re-evaluation of the taxonomic status of sand boas of the genus Eryx (Daudin, 1803) (Serpentes: Boidae) in north-eastern Iran using sequences of the mitochondrial genome

The sand boas of the genus Eryx (Daudin, 1803) comprise four species in northe-astern Iran: E. tataricus (Lichtenstein, 1823), E. miliaris (Pallas, 1773), E. elegans (Gray, 1849), and E. jaculus (Linnaeus, 1758). Based on a morphological study of the Eryx species in the area, a high similarity between E. tataricus and E. miliaris on the one side, and E. jaculus and E. elegans on the other side has been well documented, so that they are hardly distinguishable from each other. We analysed sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of 29 individuals of morphotypes of this species complex in north-eastern Iran to clarify the phylogenetic relationships. Based on the branch pattern of the phylogenetic trees, the amounts of genetic distances within and between major clades and considering the morphological data, we concluded that the traditional grouping of species within the genus Eryx in north-eastern Iran should be fundamentally revised. We believe that E. elegans is conspecific with E. jaculus, and E. tataricus is conspecific with E. miliaris. Considering the principle of priority, the north-eastern populations of Eryx in Iran should be classified into only two distinct species: E. jaculus and E. miliaris.     

Eimeria ornata N. Sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the Ornate Box Turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata (Reptilia: Testudines), in Texas

Eimeria ornata n. sp. is described from the feces of 6/16 (37.5%) ornate box turtles, Terrapene ornata ornata , in northcentral Texas. Endogenously sporulated oocysts are ellipsoid 17.9 × 15.7(16-21 × 14-18) μm, with a thin, single-layered wall; shape index 1.14 (1.0-1.3). A micropyle is absent but a polar granule was present in one third of the oocysts. An oocyst residuum was present, consisting of numerous small globules situated either in a distinct mass or scattered within the oocyst. The sporocysts are elongate, 11.1 × 5.4 (9-13 × 5-6) μm, with an indistinct Stieda body at 1 pole. A sporocyst residuum is present, consisting either as a compact mass or as scattered granules. The sporozoites are elongate, 9.5 × 2.0 (8-12 × 2) μm, in situ, with spherical anterior and posterior refractile bodies. The new species is distinguished from the similar Eimeria carri Ernst & Forrester, 1973, from eastern box turtles, T. Carolina , by slight differences in oocyst morphology and endogenous sporulation.     

A survey of running crab spiders (Araneae: Philodromidae) in Iran

Nine species and four genera of Philodromidae are identified and recorded from various parts of Iran including Pulchellodromus medius (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) (genus and species new to Iran) and Thanatus setiger (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) (new to Iran). The male of Rhysodromus hierosolymitanus (Levy, 1977), which was previously known only from females, is described and diagnosed here.     

Elevated Concentrations of Pesticides and PCBs in Soils at the Southern Caspian Sea (Iran) are Related to Land Use

Soil contamination by organochlorine pesticides or PCBs is almost undocumented for Iran. Here we report a soil survey in Mazandaran and Guilan provinces that hold >30% of the agricultural areas of Iran where pesticide use is widespread. Concentration of DDTs, HCHs, cyclodienes, and PCBs were measured in 45 soil samples from different agricultural land uses and forest land. The average concentrations of ∑DDT (37 μg kg^?1) and ∑HCH (21 μg kg^?1) in agricultural soils are among the largest ever reported and exceed international soil screening standards. All residues were larger in agricultural than in forest soil. Within agricultural land, ∑DDT were largest for tea gardens, lindane was largest in rice fields, and cyclodiens largest in citrus orchards. The ratio of (DDD + DDE)/DDT is an index of the extent of DDT degradation in soil and was lower in tea gardens than in other soils (0.7 versus 2–5), indicating either ongoing DDT input or lower degradation rate in the tea gardens that are more acid than the other soils (pH 4.5 versus 6.5–7.0). The o,p′–DDT/p,p′–DDT ratio was about 3 in forest soils, suggesting that DDT is derived from dicofol application and not from technical DDT as in agricultural soils. The PCB 28, 180, and 138 showed the highest mean concentration compared with other PCB congeners in all land uses. This survey is the first of this kind for Iran and illustrates that concentrations of organochlorine pesticide in soil are relatively large.     

Impact of mountain chains, sea straits and peripheral populations on genetic and taxonomic structure of a freshwater turtle, Mauremys leprosa (Reptilia, Testudines, Geoemydidae)

Mauremys leprosa, distributed in Iberia and North‐west Africa, contains two major clades of mtDNA haplotypes. Clade A occurs in Portugal, Spain and Morocco north of the Atlas Mountains. Clade B occurs south of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and north of the Atlas Mountains in eastern Algeria and Tunisia. However, we recorded a single individual containing a clade B haplotype in Morocco from north of the Atlas Mountains. This could indicate gene flow between both clades. The phylogenetically most distinct clade A haplotypes are confined to Morocco, suggesting both clades originated in North Africa. Extensive diversity within clade A in south‐western Iberia argues for a glacial refuge located there. Other regions of the Iberian Peninsula, displaying distinctly lower haplotype diversities, were recolonized from within south‐western Iberia. Most populations in Portugal, Spain and northern Morocco contain the most common clade A haplotype, indicating dispersal from the south‐western Iberian refuge, gene flow across the Strait of Gibraltar, and reinvasion of Morocco by terrapins originating in south‐western Iberia. This hypothesis is consistent with demographic analyses, suggesting rapid clade A population increase while clade B is represented by stationary, fragmented populations. We recommend the eight, morphologically weakly diagnosable, subspecies of M. leprosa be reduced to two, reflecting major mtDNA clades: Mauremys l. leprosa (Iberian Peninsula and northern Morocco) and M. l. saharica (southern Morocco, eastern Algeria and Tunisia). Peripheral populations could play an important role in evolution of M. leprosa because we found endemic haplotypes in populations along the northern and southern range borders. Previous investigations in another western Palearctic freshwater turtle (Emys orbicularis) discovered similar differentiation of peripheral populations, and phylogeographies of Emys orbicularis and Mauremys rivulata underline the barrier status of mountain chains, in contrast to sea straits, suggesting common patterns for western Palearctic freshwater turtles.     

Use of river-wetland habitats in a declining population of the terrapin (Mauremys rivulata) along the Strymon River, northern Greece

A declining population of the freshwater turtle Mauremys rivulata (Chelonia, Geoemydidae) living in a human-impacted area along the Strymon River, just upstream from Kerkini Lake (Prefecture of Serres, northern Greece), was investigated by capture–recapture and radio-tracking. Fyke nets placed along the river and in ponds lying on the riparian lowland gave about 2000 catches in 6 years, permitting us to assess major inter-habitat movements during ontogenesis and throughout the seasons. Annual intensive radio-tracking of 15 females and 10 males gave finer details of movement patterns between different river-wetland habitats. Younger specimens, including yearlings, inhabited the ponds almost exclusively, whereas the adult population shifted seasonally from the ponds during the mating season to a marsh area lying on the opposite side of the river for aestivation and overwintering. The river served mainly as a corridor for transit between the two habitats. Moreover, longitudinal movements along the river were observed, particularly in the males, which probably allow dispersal and gene flow between subpopulations living in the area. One major threat to the viability of M. rivulata in the study area is the diversion of water for irrigation during the summer, drying up the Strymon completely, which reduces the water level in the ponds. Livestock crossing the area for grazing and watering in the ponds is also of impact, as turtles in the ponds are trampled on and nests are disturbed.     

Note on the karyotype and NOR phenotype of leuciscine fish Acanthobrama marmid (Osteichthyes, Cyprinidae)

The karyotype and major ribosomal sites as revealed using silver staining of Anatolian leuciscine cyprinid fish Acanthobrama marmid were studied. The diploid chromosome number was invariably 2n = 50. Karyotype consisted of eight pairs of metacentric, 13 pairs of submetacentric and four pairs of subtelocentric to acrocentric chromosomes. The largest chromosome pair of the complement was subtelo-to acrocentric characteristically, which is a characteristic cytotaxonomic marker for representatives of the cyprinid lineage Leuciscinae. The nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) were detected in the telomeres of two pairs of medium sized submeta-to subtelocentric chromosomes. No heteromorphic sex chromosomes were found. The karyotype pattern of A. marmid is nearly identical to that found in most other representatives of the Eurasian leuciscine cyprinids, while the multiple NOR phenotype appears to be more derived as opposed to a uniform one, ubiquitous in this group.     

Studies on skeleton formation in reptiles: Patterns of ossification in the skeleton of Chelydra serpentina (Reptilia, Testudines)

Patterns and sequence of ossification are described throughout the skeleton of Chelydra serpentina Linnaeus. Evidence is adduced documenting the decoupling of ossification processes from sequence and patterns of chondrification. Convergence of ontogenetic repatterning in the ossification of the axial skeleton in Chelydra and Squamata is discussed, as are problems of adaptive modification of ossification patterns. The development of a carapace may be correlated with changes of ossification patterns in the postcranial axial skeleton of turtles, but the most striking evidence for the adaptive modification of ossification sequence obtains from a comparison of the limb skeleton and its ossification in Chelydra and in sea turtles