# Sticky  Journals of Various Amphibian Species - Links to PDF files.



## MantellaMan

*Echinotriton chinhaiensis Journal/Paper - Interesting Read*

Hi everyone, 

Instead of simply uploading a new thread for a journal, I thought it might be fairer and easier to simply use this thread to upload journal links to. Also, it means I can add to it without taking up most of the Amphibian Section! lol 

Firstly, here is a Journal by Miguel Vences, Christopher J. Raxworthy, Ronald A. Nussbaum & Frank Glaw which looks into the Revision of the Scaphiophyrne marmorata species. Took me a while to find out where I had saved this document! lol 




> Abstract:- A revision of the available material hitherto assigned to the endemic Malagasy microhylid toad Scaphiophryne marmorata finds this taxon to be a complex of three species. In this study we resurrect Scaphiophryne spinosa Steindachner, 1882 from the synonymy of S. marmorata and describe a new species from central eastern Madagascar. These three Scaphiophryne species are characterized by their distinctly expanded terminal finger discs, a character only shared with S. gottlebei. S. spinosa is characterized by a highly granular back, with large spiny tubercles above the forelimb insertion and in the tympanic region, while S. marmorata is dorsally covered by less prominent and more regular tubercles. The new species is distinguished from both S. marmorata and S. spinosa by its large body size (SVL 47-60 mm), a smoother dorsal skin, and reddish terminal finger discs in life. S. spinosa is distributed in low- and mid-altitude rainforests along the east coast, whereas the new species is only known from mid-altitude rainforest in the Fierenana region. In contrast, records of S. marmorata include eastern mid-altitude rainforests and several more arid western sites.


Here is the link - A Revision of the Scaphiophryne marmorata complex of Marbled Toads from Madagascar, including the description of a new species

Anyway, shall try and see if my starter posts for the E.chinhaiensis, M.aurantiaca and Tadpole development of S.marmorata threads along with all their comments can be moved to this single thread  

Enjoy! : victory:

MantellaMan


ADMIN EDIT: All Journal threads merged and stickied here. Apologies if the thread reads a little odd - the merge function puts all posts in chronological order so may cause some confusion!


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## Ron Magpie

MantellaMan said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> Those of you that are interested in _Caudata_ (Newt & Salamander) species, especially the _Tylototriton_ and _Echinotriton_ genus's, then you might enjoy reading this;
> 
> Age Structure of Females in a Breeding Population of Echinotriton chinhaiensis and it's Conservation Implications
> 
> Found this a while back by chance, I was looking for information on _Echinotriton andersoni_ but as soon as I saw this, I had to read it lol
> 
> Enjoy
> 
> MantellaMan


HOW do you keep finding this stuff? :no1:


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## MantellaMan

Ron Magpie said:


> HOW do you keep finding this stuff? :no1:


Hahah I have several more things I have stored away for the past year :L I still have quite a few to read eventually :lol2: 

One in particular I want to read first before posting is a Mantella Aurantiaca one


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## MantellaMan

I do have a Scaphiophyrne marmorata one I found the other week if people are interested in reading it? It's only about the Tadpole stage of the Malagasy Marbled Burrowing Frog species in the Scaphiophyrne genus, which is only a page long at the most lol 

Shall I put it up?


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## Ron Magpie

MantellaMan said:


> I do have a Scaphiophyrne marmorata one I found the other week if people are interested in reading it? It's only about the Tadpole stage of the Malagasy Marbled Burrowing Frog species in the Scaphiophyrne genus, which is only a page long at the most lol
> 
> Shall I put it up?


I'd be interested! I have a trio of S madagarensis (spelling dubious!).


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## MantellaMan

Ron Magpie said:


> I'd be interested! I have a trio of S madagarensis (spelling dubious!).


Shall post it up now then :whistling2:

Have you really? :notworthy: I love the Scaphiophyrne genus! How long have you had your S.madagascarensis individuals?


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## Ron Magpie

MantellaMan said:


> Shall post it up now then :whistling2:
> 
> Have you really? :notworthy: I love the Scaphiophyrne genus! How long have you had your S.madagascarensis individuals?


Two or three years, now- bought them at PRAS. To be utterly honest, they are the *least *satisfying frogs I have- they literally spend weeks or even months without appearing above ground; even then, it's mostly in total darkness. They are very pretty indeed when I'm actually honoured with a glimpse, but I wouldn't recommend them to any but the most dedicated keeper.


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## MantellaMan

*The Tadpoles of the Scaphiophyrne marmorata of Madagascar Journal*

Hi everyone, 

This journal I came across a few weeks ago is about the larval development of the Scaphiophyrne genus from Madagascar, focusing particularly on the Malagasy Marbled Burrowing Frog (S.marmorata). It's not very long and will only take you a couple of minutes to read it but, here you go; 

The tadpole of the toadlet _Scaphiophryne marmorata_ from Madagascar
by Stephane Grosjean & Miguel Vences

Hope you enjoy it Ron, shall try to find some more I do have somewhere saved on species of the Scaphiophryne genus.

MantellaMan


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## MantellaMan

Ron Magpie said:


> Two or three years, now- bought them at PRAS. To be utterly honest, they are the *least *satisfying frogs I have- they literally spend weeks or even months without appearing above ground; even then, it's mostly in total darkness. They are very pretty indeed when I'm actually honoured with a glimpse, but I wouldn't recommend them to any but the most dedicated keeper.


Ahhh fair enough, I am looking for some myself actually! :L and haha yeah most the genus are/can be like that really, my S.marmorata individuals are actually out quite a lot currently as I am trying to get them into a routine of having seasonal rain and weather patterns and at the moment it's "Raining" for them lol 
Would love to see some photos of yours if you can ever get any!! :2thumb:
The thread is up now for you


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## Ron Magpie

I'm sometimes (!) lucky to get a look, let alone a photo- so don't hold your breath, a blue skin tone probably wouldn't suit you...

Read it, BTW- good stuff! :2thumb:


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## MantellaMan

Ron Magpie said:


> I'm sometimes (!) lucky to get a look, let alone a photo- so don't hold your breath, a blue skin tone probably wouldn't suit you...
> 
> Read it, BTW- good stuff! :2thumb:


Lmao I don't think I shall hold my breath then :Na_Na_Na_Na: I have a few photos of mine on my profile if you would like a butchers  Not the same species but, you know lol 

and Awesome, sorry it's not a long one like some of them! : victory:


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## Alex M

Ron Magpie said:


> Two or three years, now- bought them at PRAS. To be utterly honest, they are the *least *satisfying frogs I have- they literally spend weeks or even months without appearing above ground; even then, it's mostly in total darkness. They are very pretty indeed when I'm actually honoured with a glimpse, but I wouldn't recommend them to any but the most dedicated keeper.



I don't understand the problem, Ron - when I had them, they always used to do cartwheels and stuff after dark...


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## Alex M

Not to mention that time they went out drinking, pulled 3 birds, and brought them back for a pool party...


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## MantellaMan

Alex M said:


> Not to mention that time they went out drinking, pulled 3 birds, and brought them back for a pool party...


This would be one of those rare occasions that you would want anything under your care to actually produce offspring after their escapades! :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## Alex M

MantellaMan said:


> This would be one of those rare occasions that you would want anything under your care to actually produce offspring after their escapades! :Na_Na_Na_Na:



I've been out with women before that I suppose you could describe as 'half frog/half woman'. 

To be honest, it was the 'half frog' bit that attracted me to them...


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## MantellaMan

Alex M said:


> I've been out with women before that I suppose you could describe as 'half frog/half woman'.
> 
> To be honest, it was the 'half frog' bit that attracted me to them...


LMAO Were they at all interested in Frogs?! :lol2:


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## MantellaMan

*Specialist or generalist? Feeding ecology of the Mantella aurantiaca - Journal*

Hi all, 

I recently finished reading this journal, which looks into the Dietary intake of a selected population of Golden Mantella (Mantella aurantiaca) individuals. It is a few years old now (2007) but anyway, interesting read! 




> Abstract:- We studied the diet of a population of free-ranging Mantella aurantiaca, an alkaloid-containing poison frog from Madagascar. As in other poison frogs, this species is thought to sequester alkaloids from arthropod prey. Among prey, mites and ants are known to regularly contain alkaloids and mites appear to be a major source of dietary alkaloids in poison frogs. We predicted that mites and ants would constitute the most important prey item for these frogs. Prey inventories were obtained during the rainy season by stomach flushing 23 adult male and 42 adult female frogs from one population. Males had smaller body sizes than females and ate smaller prey items, but males and females displayed no differences in the number of prey items consumed. The numerical proportion of ants in most specimens was surprisingly low (11% in males and 15% in females), while mites were slightly more frequent (34% in males and 18% in females). Other prey items consumed in large proportions were flies and collembolans. Comparing the total of 5492 arthropod prey items with 1867 arthropods sampled from the frogs’ leaf litter habitat, the proportion of prey classes did not significantly differ among the samples, indicating a low degree of prey electivity in this population. Our data suggest that not all poison frogs exhibit a continuous and active preference for feeding on ants and mites, but instead some may consume high proportions of ants due to a high abundance of ants in their environment.


Specialist or generalist? Feeding ecology of the Malagasy poison frog, Mantella aurantiaca

Hope you enjoy it, provides some good insight I think!! :2thumb:

MantellaMan


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## Ron Magpie

MantellaMan said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> This journal I came across a few weeks ago is about the larval development of the Scaphiophyrne genus from Madagascar, focusing particularly on the Malagasy Marbled Burrowing Frog (S.marmorata). It's not very long and will only take you a couple of minutes to read it but, here you go;
> 
> The tadpole of the toadlet _Scaphiophryne marmorata_ from Madagascar
> by Stephane Grosjean & Miguel Vences
> 
> Hope you enjoy it Ron, shall try to find some more I do have somewhere saved on species of the Scaphiophryne genus.
> 
> MantellaMan


Good stuff- there really doesn't seem to be a lot published on them, so I'm interested in anything like this! :2thumb:


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## MantellaMan

Ron Magpie said:


> Good stuff- there really doesn't seem to be a lot published on them, so I'm interested in anything like this! :2thumb:


Ahhhh I do have one of a review of Scaphiophryne marmorata saved so I can upload that one for you, its only 10 long but it talks about the species a fair bit and also describes a newer specie at the time, Scaphiophryne boribory. Shall upload that one, did upload the Dietary study of Mantella aurantiaca but thats a fairly old one! Lol


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## MantellaMan

Hi everyone, 

Those of you that are interested in _Caudata_ (Newt & Salamander) species, especially the _Tylototriton_ and _Echinotriton_ genus's, then you might enjoy reading this; 

Age Structure of Females in a Breeding Population of Echinotriton chinhaiensis and it's Conservation Implications

Found this a while back by chance, I was looking for information on _Echinotriton andersoni_ but as soon as I saw this, I had to read it lol For those who don't know what Echinotriton chinhaiensis is, it is a species of Spiny Newt that can only be found from two nearby valleys east of the city of Ningbo in Zhejiang province, China. It is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 

Enjoy  

MantellaMan


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## REDDEV1L

I've only just clicked-on who you are :lol2:

Anyway, here's another one to add to the list.
Not everyones cup-of-tea, and its an old one, but definitely worth a read.
http://www.ias.ac.in/jarch/jgenet/49/286.pdf


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## Ron Magpie

If this thread gets enough input, I vote sticky!


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## MantellaMan

Ron Magpie said:


> If this thread gets enough input, I vote sticky!


Well I personally will upload as many as I can to it  I am sad enough to keep finding all these different journals which interest me so I hope they interest other people!  I really hope other people will do what RED has done too and add their own links from areas they are interested too!!  

I have requested that my Book review thread become a sticky for the fact that publication is fantastic!!  



REDDEV1L said:


> I've only just clicked-on who you are :lol2:
> 
> Anyway, here's another one to add to the list.
> Not everyones cup-of-tea, and its an old one, but definitely worth a read.
> 
> 
> 
> LMAO :Na_Na_Na_Na:
> 
> The link didn't work for me mate, It took me too the RFUK forums section! :/ Is that just me?! lol


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## Ron Magpie

MantellaMan said:


> Well I personally will upload as many as I can to it  I am sad enough to keep finding all these different journals which interest me so I hope they interest other people!  I really hope other people will do what RED has done too and add their own links from areas they are interested too!!
> 
> I have requested that my Book review thread become a sticky for the fact that publication is fantastic!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> LMAO :Na_Na_Na_Na:
> 
> The link didn't work for me mate, It took me too the RFUK forums section! :/ Is that just me?! lol


Oops! Me too! :lol2:


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## MantellaMan

*An insight into the breeding of Scaphiophyrne gottlebei - Journal*

Here is one that is quite old but completely fascinating! 

The Malagasy Rainbow Burrowing Frog (Scaphiophyrne gottlebei) is one of those species that has yet to be bred in captivity or bred widely enough, this article provides some excellent insight into the breeding of this beautiful species; 

Explosion into the Canyon: An insight into the breeding of Scaphiophyrne gottlebei (1992)

There isn't much info on the species really, and remains a very sort after by private collectors


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## MantellaMan

*A new species of Tylototriton from northern Vietnam - Journal*

I keep quite a few members of the Tylototriton genus so obviously I would find this interesting but I hope a few of you would like to read this anyway! 
Now this one is definitely old, as this "New species" was discovered by and described back in 2005 by Wolfgang Bohme, Thomas Schottler, Bguyen Quang Truong and Jorn Kohler. 

Interesting looking species, reminds me very much like a cross between a Paramesotriton species and a Tylototriton verrucosus individual. Anyway, here's the link for you all;

A new species of Tylototriton from northern Vietnam

I have a few other journals of Tylototriton species saved, some of them recently discovered including Ziegler's Crocodile Newt (Tylototriton ziegleri).


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## Ron Magpie

Slow down! I mean, I read fast, but even so! 

Lol, joking here, mate- keep up the good work! :2thumb::no1::2thumb:


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## MantellaMan

Ron Magpie said:


> Slow down! I mean, I read fast, but even so!
> 
> Lol, joking here, mate- keep up the good work! :2thumb::no1::2thumb:


Hahaha :L I am not sure if I should space it out more or not! :L But thank you buddy  

I just hope everyone appreciates them! :lol2:


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## Ron Magpie

MantellaMan said:


> Hahaha :L I am not sure if I should space it out more or not! :L But thank you buddy
> 
> I just hope everyone appreciates them! :lol2:


If it's there, it is available to be read- which can only be good.


EDIT: Who is the mod these days, anyway? I'm serious that this should be a sticky.


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## MantellaMan

Ron Magpie said:


> If it's there, it is available to be read- which can only be good.
> 
> 
> EDIT: Who is the mod these days, anyway? I'm serious that this should be a sticky.


Very very true! :notworthy:

And Pollywog is the mod still I believe but I looked at his profile and he hasn't been on since late November 2012, so I messaged Kato and Wohic about it and no reply yet! lol


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## Ron Magpie

MantellaMan said:


> Very very true! :notworthy:
> 
> And Pollywog is the mod still I believe but I looked at his profile and he hasn't been on since late November 2012, so I messaged Kato and Wohic about it and no reply yet! lol


I think we need a campaign to get Lotte (Saedcantas) back- she's incredibly knowledgable, no-nonsense, and witty too! :no1:


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## MantellaMan

Ron Magpie said:


> I think we need a campaign to get Lotte (Saedcantas) back- she's incredibly knowledgable, no-nonsense, and witty too! :no1:


As long as she logs on then shes the woman for the job!!! lol : victory: I wondered what was going on with the Mod thing actually, because none of them I can get hold of! lol


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## Ron Magpie

MantellaMan said:


> As long as she logs on then shes the woman for the job!!! lol : victory: I wondered what was going on with the Mod thing actually, because none of them I can get hold of! lol


She has popped in once or twice lately.


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## REDDEV1L

http://www.ias.ac.in/jarch/jgenet/49/286.pdf

Yeah, the first one was a paste of something entirely different :blush:
Im obviously too fast for my ageing PC :lol2:

On the subject of Mods... I noticed in the new sticky post by Kato he didn't even mention Pollywog as a current Mod :/


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## bothrops

MantellaMan said:


> As long as she logs on then shes the woman for the job!!! lol : victory: I wondered what was going on with the Mod thing actually, because none of them I can get hold of! lol


You didn't try me! :whistling2:


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## REDDEV1L

Thanks Bothrops 

PS Damn you work fast


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## Ron Magpie

REDDEV1L said:


> http://www.ias.ac.in/jarch/jgenet/49/286.pdf
> 
> Yeah, the first one was a paste of something entirely different :blush:
> Im obviously too fast for my ageing PC :lol2:
> 
> On the subject of Mods... I noticed in the new sticky post by Kato he didn't even mention Pollywog as a current Mod :/


Oh, what a *great* piece! :2thumb::2thumb: I love the reproductions of older observations- have either of you read Fabres' stuff on insects? Truely classic stuff.


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## Ron Magpie

bothrops said:


> You didn't try me! :whistling2:


So you are our permanent Mod? Cool. I thought you were filling in, before! :blush:

So, sticky, gritty please with rocks on top?


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## MantellaMan

*A new species of Paramesotriton from Guizhou Province, China - Journal*

My last one for the day.... I promise!!! lol 

This journal is more recent, published in the year 2012, and describes a new species of _Paramesotri__ton_ called the Maolan Warty Newt (_P__ara__mesotriton maolanensis_). Amazing looking species which has these weird "Horn" like projections on the side/back of its skull and a flattened snout! 



> Abstract:- In this study, we describe a new species of salamander, _Paramesotriton maolanensis _sp. n., from the Maolan National Nature Reserve, Libo County, Guizhou Province, China. The new species is placed in the genus _Paramesotriton _based on morphological characteristics and molecular data. It differs from all other members of the genus in a number of morphological characteristics, especially in its much larger body size, absence of granular warts from head and body, largely reduced external eyes and peculiar shape of epibranchia in hyoid apparatus. We examined the relationships of nuclear POMC haplotypes between and within the new species and six recognized species. POMC variation and published mitochondrial data suggested that the new species’ closest known relatives are _P. longliensis_, _P. zhijinensis _and _P. caudopunctatu_s, and it should be placed into the _P. caudopunctatus _species group or subgenus _Allomesotriton_


Truly remarkable and wonderful species; 

A new species of Paramesotriton from Guizhou Province, China


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## MantellaMan

*A new species of Paramesotriton from Guizhou Province, China - Journal*



REDDEV1L said:


> http://www.ias.ac.in/jarch/jgenet/49/286.pdf
> 
> Yeah, the first one was a paste of something entirely different :blush:
> Im obviously too fast for my ageing PC :lol2:
> 
> On the subject of Mods... I noticed in the new sticky post by Kato he didn't even mention Pollywog as a current Mod :/


Lmao doesn't matter  I have saved it mate so thank you for sharing the journal!!  

and really? :/ maybe he has left then? Very odd!!


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## MantellaMan

bothrops said:


> You didn't try me! :whistling2:


PM'ed you now!!


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## REDDEV1L

There's actually hundreds of different papers on that website I linked for all sorts of things... 
Everything from "Genetics and Cytology of Drosophila subobscura" to "Sibling rivalry between seeds within a fruit" with some "Racial divergence in fin ray variation patterns in Gasterosteus aculeatus" & "Gene frequencies in London's Cats"  thrown in too.


Each page number from...
Index of /jarch/jgenet/1 to Index of /jarch/jgenet/73
contains a different batch of pdfs. Unfortunately ALL numbers with no hints on whats inside the file :bash:


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## MantellaMan

REDDEV1L said:


> There's actually hundreds of different papers on that website I linked for all sorts of things...
> Everything from "Genetics and Cytology of Drosophila subobscura" to "Sibling rivalry between seeds within a fruit" with some "Racial divergence in fin ray variation patterns in Gasterosteus aculeatus" & "Gene frequencies in London's Cats"  thrown in too.
> 
> 
> Each page number from...
> Index of /jarch/jgenet/1 to Index of /jarch/jgenet/73
> contains a different batch of pdfs. Unfortunately ALL numbers with no hints on whats inside the file :bash:


Lmao blimey that is pretty nutty I must admit, so was it pure luck that you found the Albinism in Rana temporaria? lol


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## Ron Magpie

REDDEV1L said:


> There's actually hundreds of different papers on that website I linked for all sorts of things...
> Everything from "Genetics and Cytology of Drosophila subobscura" to "Sibling rivalry between seeds within a fruit" with some "Racial divergence in fin ray variation patterns in Gasterosteus aculeatus" & "Gene frequencies in London's Cats"  thrown in too.
> 
> 
> Each page number from...
> Index of /jarch/jgenet/1 to Index of /jarch/jgenet/73
> contains a different batch of pdfs. Unfortunately ALL numbers with no hints on whats inside the file :bash:





MantellaMan said:


> Lmao blimey that is pretty nutty I must admit, so was it pure luck that you found the Albinism in Rana temporaria? lol


Hmm- maybe we'd best stick to the pure 'phib ones?


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## MantellaMan

Ron Magpie said:


> Hmm- maybe we'd best stick to the pure 'phib ones?


*Coughs* Yes, indeed! I think Ron is right and purely Amphibian journals should be uploaded!


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## REDDEV1L

I couldn't tell you how I came across it to be honest.
I think it was linked in an old post somewhere about albino frogs (possibly wild about britain forums)
I'll scour that whole site eventually and link & save all the phib ones... daunting task tho :lol2:


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## Ron Magpie

REDDEV1L said:


> I couldn't tell you how I came across it to be honest.
> I think it was linked in an old post somewhere about albino frogs (possibly wild about britain forums)
> *I'll scour that whole site eventually and link & save all the phib ones... daunting task tho :lol2:*


We have *every* confidence in you, Steve! :2thumb:


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## Ron Magpie

And now stickied- *Woohoo! *:2thumb::no1::2thumb:


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## MantellaMan

Ron Magpie said:


> And now stickied- *Woohoo! *:2thumb::no1::2thumb:



I'm so happy I could Cry right now hahaha :rotfl:


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## bothrops

Ron Magpie said:


> And now stickied- *Woohoo! *:2thumb::no1::2thumb:





MantellaMan said:


> I'm so happy I could Cry right now hahaha :rotfl:


You're welcome.

:2thumb:


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## MantellaMan

*Mantella cowani Action Plan - Journal*

Hi everyone, 

Being a Mantella lover, I have a few journals I have come across via searches on google and came across this one concerning the Cowan's Mantella (Mantella cowani) and its current efforts to conserve this species. 

It takes a while to load and it is about 23 pages long but worth a read. It contains information about the species including Taxonomy, Distribution range, Habitat Condition, Description of the species etc aswell as current efforts to conserve the species in captive breeding programes. 

Mantella cowani Action Plan

Shall upload a few more on the Mantella genus.


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## MantellaMan

*A Visit to Two Unique Mantella Populations - Journal*

Hi everyone, 

Here is a journal written by Devin Edmunds back in 2007, it is not so much a scientific journal but more of an account of a visit he made out to Madagascar to visit wild Populations of Mantella species. It includes several 'Confer' species, especially several different colour variations of the Mantella milotympanum (Staniszewski, 1996). 


A Visit to Two Unique Mantella Populations by Devin Edmunds


Like I said, it is more like an account of time spent out in certain places in Madagascar but none the less, an interesting read


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## MantellaMan

*New Lipophilic Alkaloids from Mantella frogs collected in Madagascar - Journal*

Hi all, 

This Scientific journal is a lot more scientific than the previous easy read, which looks into new Alkaloid toxins from most of the genus. 




> Abstracts:- Total alkaloid skin extracts from eleven species Mantella frogs M. aurantiaca, M. baroni, M.betsileo, M. crocea, M. laevigata, M. madagascariensis, M. milotympanum var. red and green, M. nigricans, M. cf nigricans, M. pulchra and M. viridis have been examined. The latters have been collected in the North, North-East and Centre-East regions of Madagascar.All the above extracts were submitted to TLC, GC, GC/MS and GC/FTIR analysis. Extended studies of the MS/EI and FTIR data allowed to proposed structures for two new compounds dehydro-5,8-I 251P and 5,6,8-I 267U.





> Similarly, the studies of total alkaloid skin extracts from six species Mantella frogs M.baroni, M bernhardi, M. betsileo, M. cowani, M expectata and M. haraldmeieri collected in the Centre, West, South-West and South-East regions of Madagascar have been performed. The alkaloid fraction of M. betsileo, collected in Kirindy forest, is characterized by the occurrence of new coccinelline tricyclic alkaloids, whose representatives are 193L, 261C and 277C
> 
> 
> Structure of 193L was proposed, based on its MS and FTIR spectra. The evidence that the tricyclic 261C comes from coccinelline species was also given. As a resume, over 50 new alkaloids were detected.




Anyway, if you fancy finding out a bit more about this particular topic then feel free to read the Journal; 

New Lipophilic Alkaloids from Mantella frogs collected in Madagascar


Enjoy!! :2thumb:


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## MantellaMan

*Mitochondrial Evidence for Distinct Phylogeographic Units Mantella bernhardi - Journa*

Hi all, 

Haven't read this one entirely yet but thought I would post it up now anyway! 



> Abstract:- Mantella bernhardi is an endemic species of Malagasy Poison Frog threatened by loss and fragmentation of its natural habitat and for collection in the pet trade. A recent survey has increased the known distribution range of the species from 1 to 8 populations across South-eastern Madagascar, but little is known about its biology and genetic diversity.


I had to type out only a fraction of the Abstract for you all as the copy and paste option wasn't working due to some weird format. 

Mitochondrial Evidence for Distinct Phylogeographic Units in Endangered Malagasy Poison Frog, Mantella bernhardi 

Hope you all enjoy, shall go into different genus's and families of Amphibians now :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## Ron Magpie

Not a PDF, but something useful for Megophrys fans that I found searching for someone else:

Breeding the Malayan Leaf Frog (Long-Nosed or Bornean Horned Frog)

(MM, feel free to get it deleted if you don't think it's appropriate!)


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## MantellaMan

*Conservation of the Chinese Giant Salamander (A.davidianus) - Journal*

Hi everyone, 

This is a different kind of journal than what I have uploaded before about the Andrias davidianus or Chinese Giant Salamander, which is the worlds largest living Amphibian species without a doubt, seconded only by the Japanese Giant Salamander from the same genus.

The journal is by Dai Qiang & Wang Yuezhoa of the Chengdu Institute of Biology and Liang Gang of the College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal Universiy and covers the Description of the species, Wild status, Protection Management status, Current situation of Artificial Breeding and Protection/Conservation recommendations for the survival of the species. 

Conservation of the Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus)

Hope you all enjoy, it's not something widely kept or even kept by private keepers but this species still deserves people to know about it and it's current conservation efforts. 

Thanks! 

PS Ron - Stuff like what you uploaded is fine


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## MantellaMan

*Characteristics of the Japenses Giant Salamander (A.japonicus) - Journal*

Hi everyone, 

I thought seeing as I uploaded a Journal about the worlds largest amphibian, that I should upload information about the second largest amphibian! 




> Abstract:- Habitat degradation threatens the Japanese Giant Salamander (Andrias japonicus) with extinction, and only limited baseline data on population structure, size, and density exist. We conducted a mark-recapture study of A.japonicus in two tributary streams within very different catchments in Hiroshima Prefecture between 2000 and 2003. In River A, a relatively undisturbed stream running through a wooded catchment, we captured a total of 87 individual salamanders, 54 juvenile and adult salamanders, and 33 larvae. River B is heavily disturbed compared to River A, and runs through an agriculturally-dominated catchment. We recorded 118 captures of 75 adults, but we caught no larvae in River B. Estimated population density and biomass was 1.3 and 1.2 individuals/100 m2 and 85.9 and 167.3 kg/ha in Rivers A and B, respectively. Our results revealed that adult A. japonicus are abundant in both the relatively natural River A and the disturbed small stream, River B. Salamanders in River B were larger and heavier than those in River A, and consumed primarily frogs and other food items originating from rice paddy fields along the stream. However, it appears that larval recruitment is low in River B, possibly a result of stream alterations, which may eliminate spawning nests and larval habitat. Our data provide essential baseline information on A. japonicus populations including their density, biomass, and size distribution in these small streams. We suggest that a large-scale application of the approach used in this study may be useful for determining the effects of land use change on populations of this important species.




Characteristics of the Japenses Giant Salamander (A.japonicus) Populations in Two Small Tributary Steams in Hiroshima Prefecture, Western Honshu, Japan


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## MantellaMan

*Social and reproductive behaviour in Mantella laevigata - Journal*

Hi all, 

Now, this is certainly an interesting journal. Finally published back in 2000, this is the "First Behavioural study of natural populations" of Mantella laevigata, the Malagasy Climbing Mantella. The author, Heather E. Heying, looks into Comparisons or Convergent Evolutionary traits of this species with Dendrobatidae species. 



> Abstract:- I present the first behavioural study of natural populations of a Madagascan poison frog. Focal watches of marked individuals were conducted for 925 h, in five populations, across two seasons. Like the New World dendrobatids, these diurnal anurans eat ants and are aposematically coloured. Data are presented that provide additional instances of convergence with the dendrobatids, including (1) extended male–male fights over defended resources necessary for reproductive success of both sexes, (2) stereo- typed, highly tactile courtships in which the female may reject initial oviposition sites and (3) complex maternal care. Females return to water-filled phytotelmata, or wells, and lay trophic eggs for their tadpoles. Mantella laevigata has the minimum possible clutch size in anurans (usually one) suggesting a high degree of parental investment. Males defend wells, which attract females that oviposit in the wells. Fertilized eggs may hatch and metamorphose, or may be eaten by a tadpole already in that well, of which the territorial male is probably the father. Unfertilized eggs serve as food for tadpoles. Oviposition-site scouting behaviour of both sexes, and the dependency of tadpole presence on the position of eggs laid, provide evidence of context-dependent, and assessment, behaviour. Females leave courtships most often only after visiting potential oviposition sites, while males usually leave to engage other males in aggression, suggesting that territory maintenance may be the most important component of male reproductive success. Two other species of frogs often prevent M. laevigata from using defended oviposition sites, and larval crane flies predate the eggs of all frog species using water-filled wells.



Social and reproductive behaviour in the Madagascan poison frog, Mantella laevigata, with comparisons to the dendrobatids.


Hope you find this as interesting as I found it, like I said it is 12 & a half to 13 years old but still, I think it is a great journal! :2thumb:


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## MantellaMan

*Husbandry, captive breeding, larval development of Megophrys nasuta - Journal*

Hi everyone, 

Been a while since I uploaded a PDF Journal but here we are! 

Just remember while posting on another thread that I was tempted to buy some Malaysian Leaf Frogs (Megophrys nasuta) last year at Kempton Park (2012) but decided against it (and oh boy, do I regret it lol). Anyway, here is a journal written only last year called; 

Husbandry, captive breeding, larval development and stages of the Malayan horned frog Megophrys nasuta
 
So if anyway is looking into getting this gorgeous looking species, I suggest you give this a good read!  :2thumb:


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## MantellaMan

*Variation in Oophaga pumilio (Anura: Dendrobatidae) in western Panama - Journal*

Hi all,

Oophaga pumilio are a species I have always wanted to keep (still not found the Locality I would like) and found this rather interesting about the variations of O.pumilio in a single location in Panama. (Dated 2008 ) 



> Abstract:- We studied variation in colour pattern and morphology in ten populations of Oophaga pumilio from the Province of Bocas del Toro, western Panama. Our field work documented several distinct phenotypes
> of colouration and pattern that are highly correlated geographically. On the contrary, variation in the morphometric characters studied is small among these populations. There are examples of distinct populations in close proximity without any obvious physiographic barriers that show no evidence of hybridization. We interpret these abrupt transitions as evidence of lack of or minimal gene flow.


Variation in Oophaga pumilio (Anura: Dendrobatidae) in western Panama

Enjoy : victory:


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## MantellaMan

*A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical poison frog genus Ranitomeya (2011) - Journal*

Hi everyone,

I have yet to read this one but thought I would put it up now anyway! 




MantellaMan said:


> Abstract:- The Neotropical poison frog genus Ranitomeya is revised, resulting in one new genus, one new species, five synonymies and one species classified as nomen dubium. We present an expanded molecular phylogeny that contains 235 terminals, 104 of which are new to this study. Notable additions to this phylogeny include seven of the 12 species in the minuta group, 15 Ranitomeya amazonica, 20 R.lamasi, two R.sirensis, 30 R.ventrimaculata and seven R. uakarii. Previous researchers have long recognized two distinct, reciprocally monophyletic species groups contained within Ranitomeya, sensu Grant et al. 2006: the ventrimaculata group, which is distributed throughout much of the Amazon, and the minuta group of the northern Andes and Central America. We restrict Ranitomeya to the former group and erect a new genus, Andinobates Twomey, Brown, Amézquita & Mejía-Vargas gen. nov. for members of the minuta group. Other major taxonomic results of the current revision include the following:
> (i) A new species, Ranitomeya toraro Brown, Caldwell, Twomey, Melo-Sampaio & Souza sp. nov. is described from western Brazil. This species has long been referred to as R.ventrimaculata but new morphological and phylogenetic data place it sister to R. defleri.
> (ii) Examination of the holotype of R. ventrimaculata revealed that this specimen is in fact a member of what is currently referred to as R. duellmani, therefore, Dendrobates duellmani Schulte 1999 is considered herein a junior synonym of D. ventrimaculatus Shreve 1935 (=R. ventrimaculata).
> (iii) For the frogs that were being called R.ventrimaculata prior to this revision, the oldest available and therefore applicable name is R.variabilis. Whereas previous definitions of R.variabilis were restricted to spotted highland frogs near Tarapoto, Peru, our data suggest that this color morph is conspecific with lowland striped counterparts. Therefore, the definition of R.variabilis is greatly expanded to include most frogs which were (prior to this revision) referred to as R. ventrimaculata.
> (iv) Phylogenetic and bioacoustic evidence support the retention of R. amazonica as a valid species related to R.variabilis as defined in this paper. Based on phylogenetic data, R. amazonica appears to be distributed throughout much of the lower Amazon, as far east as French Guiana and the Amazon Delta and as far west as Iquitos, Peru.
> (v) Behavioral and morphological data, as well as phylogenetic data which includes topotypic material of R. sirensis and numerous samples of R. lamasi, suggest that the names sirensis, lamasi and biolat are applicable to a single, wide-spread species that displays considerable morphological variation throughout its range. The oldest available name for this group is sirensis Aichinger; therefore, we expand the definition of R. sirensis.
> (vi) Ranitomeya ignea and R. intermedia, elevated to the species status in a previous revision, are placed as junior synonyms of R. reticulata and R. imitator, respectively.
> (vii) Ranitomeya rubrocephala is designated as nomen dubium
> 
> 
> 
> In addition to taxonomic changes, this revision includes the following:
> (i) Explicit definitions of species groups that are consistent with our proposed taxonomy. (ii) A comprehensive dichotomous key for identification of ‘small’ aposematic poison frogs of South and Central America.
> (iii) Detailed distribution maps of all Ranitomeya species, including unpublished localities for most species. In some cases, these records result in substantial range extensions (e.g., R. uakarii, R.fantastica) .
> (iv) Tadpole descriptions for R. amazonica, R. flavovittata, R. imitator, R. toraro sp. nov., R. uakarii and R.variabilis; plus a summary of tadpole morphological data for Andinobates and Ranitomeya species. (v) A summary of call data on most members of Andinobates and Ranitomeya, including call data of several species that have not been published before. (vi) A discussion on the continued impacts of the pet trade on poison frogs (vii) A discussion on several cases of potential Müllerian mimicry within the genus Ranitomeya. We also give opinions regarding the current debate on recent taxonomic changes and the use of the name Ranitomeya.


A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical poison frog genus Ranitomeya


----------



## MantellaMan

*A new species of Dendrobatidae from the Amazonian lowlands in Peru - Journal*

Hi everyone, 

This is a very outdated journal from back in 2006 describing a new species of "_Dendrobates_" known as _Ranitomeya uakarii_ or written as _Dendrobates uakarii_ in the journal. 




> Abstract: - We describe a new species of poison frog from Amazonian Peru. Dendrobates uakarii, sp. nov. is distinguished by the presence of paired parallel dorsolateral lines: one yellow oblique lateral and one red dorsolateral (on each flank), with one vertebral line, similar in color to the dorsolateral lines. Phylogenetic analysis show that D. uakarii, sp. nov. and closely related taxa (D.ventrimaculatus sp. aff. Shreve from Porto Walter, Brazil and another from Amazonas, Brazil) form the sister group to D. fantasticus Boulenger. This new species can be distinguished from its sister taxa on the basis of 19 unique mitochondrial gene nucleotide site substitutions. Comparisons between closely related species show a slight difference in call repetition rate and mean frequency.



A new species of Dendrobatidae from the Amazonian lowlands in Peru - Journal


----------



## MantellaMan

*Emperor/Mandarin Crocodile Newt (T.shanjing) Studbook Nor-Am - Jorunal*

Hi all, 

This is quite old and without a doubt, outdated (dated around 2001 - 2002) but still worth a look into if you like you Tylototriton species and are wanting to keep them. 

It goes into a tiny bit of detail about how to care for the species which isn't really hard anyway. 

Emperor/Mandarin Crocodile Newt (T.shanjing) Studbook North America


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## MantellaMan

*A New Species of the Genus Tylototriton from Hunan, China - Journal*

Hi everyone, 

This is dated as "*Received: 25 October 2011 Accepted: 16 Feburary 2012*" and since then even more species to the genus, _Tylototriton_, has been discovered. However, this looks into the species (formally believed to be T.asperrimus) known as now, the Broad Ridged Knobby Newt (Tylototriton broadoridgus) which individuals were collected from the Tianping Mountains in Sangzhi county, northwestern Hunan province, China.



> Abstract:- A new species of the genus Tylototriton is described in this article based on morphological and genetic evidence. The new species is identified belonging to the T. asperrimus group and is similar to T. wenxianensis. The diagnostic characters of the new species are as follows: dorsal ridge broad and thick, its width approximately equal to eye diameter (P < 0.001); tail height greater than width at base of tail (P < 0.001); no villous genital papilla found inside the male anal fissure; nodule-like warts, along lateral margin of the trunk, bulge and forming tubercles, and thin and transverse striae present between the tubercles.


A New Species of the Genus Tylototriton from Hunan, China


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## MantellaMan

*Sexual Behaviour, Sexual Interference & Sexual Defence in Salamanders - Journal*

Hi everyone, 

This is an interesting paper but very very likely to be completely out dated (it is dated *1975*! lmao) which looks into the Courtship behaviour and Male to Female interactions in the salamander species _Ambystoma maculatum_, _Ambystoma tigrinum_ and _Plethodon jordani. 

_Sexual Behaviour, Sexual Interference & Sexual Defence in Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum, Ambystoma tigrinum and Plethodon jordani)


----------



## MantellaMan

*Post-breeding Terrestrial Movements of Ambystoma tigrinum - Journal*

Hi everyone, 

This is definitely more recent than the last one which is dated around 2006, which could be useful for those of you looking into breeding your Barred and Eastern Tiger Salamander species. 




> Abstract:- To assess use of terrestrial habitat by ambystomatid salamanders, Ambystoma tigrinum (Eastern Tiger Salamanders) were monitored with radio-telemetry. Four individuals were tracked as they exited a wetland and made wide use of the surrounding landscape. Salamanders moved up to 255 m from the wetland of origin and found refugia both within forested land and wildlife food plots. Based on the extent of terrestrial movements by Tiger Salamanders, our findings support previous work demonstrating that upland habitat surrounding wetlands are critical areas in amphibian life cycles. Salamander movements did not appear to be influenced by agricultural development, as two individuals traveled through this habitat type.




Post-breeding Terrestrial Movements of Ambystoma tigrinum


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## MantellaMan

*Pathogenicity and Transmission of Chytridiomycosis in Tiger Salamanders - Journal*

Hi everyone, 

This looks into probably one of the biggest threats to the _Amphibia_ class, _Chytridiomycosis _-_ Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis_. This journal focuses on the Tiger Salamander species; 




> Abstract:- A Chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, was found in salamanders, Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi, collected in southern Arizona, USA. The chytrid was isolated and cultured, and Koch’s postulates were satisfied by infection of metamorphosed salamanders with pure culture and subsequent reisolation from these salamanders. We used the salamander strain and a strain isolated from lowland leopard frogs in Arizona, Rana yavapaiensis, to infect metamorphosed A. tigrinum, R. yavapaiensis, and R. boylii. All three species became infected, but none of the infected salamanders died within 60 days, and mortality of infected frogs did not differ significantly from controls, although sample size was small. Chytrid infection could not be detected by light histology in most of the infected frogs and one of the infected salamanders 60 days after infection. To date, there are three records of chytridiomycosis in salamanders on websites; ours is the first complete report of occurrence and pathology of chytridiomycosis in field-collected North American salamanders. Our results also demonstrate that chytridiomycosis does not always lead to mortality. Individuals within a species vary in susceptibility to infection, animals appear to recover from the infection, and syntopic salamanders and frogs may act as reciprocal pathogen reservoirs for chytrid infections.


Pathogenicity and Transmission of Chytridiomycosis in Tiger Salamanders


----------



## MantellaMan

*Green & Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea) Profile - Journal PDF*

Hi everyone, 

This is just a little species profile about the threatened and quite well sort after _Litoria_ species, Green & Golden Bell Frog (_L.aurea_) or the Ground Tree Frog. I am not much of a Hylidae (Tree Dwelling) person as they don't do much for me but these are a really beautiful looking species.

Green & Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea) Profile


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## Ron Magpie

MantellaMan said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> This is just a little species profile about the threatened and quite well sort after _Litoria_ species, Green & Golden Bell Frog (_L.aurea_) or the Ground Tree Frog. I am not much of a Hylidae (Tree Dwelling) person as they don't do much for me but these are a really beautiful looking species.
> 
> Green & Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea) Profile


As you know, I'm quite into treefrogs, but this one is new to me. Fascinating article.:2thumb:


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## MantellaMan

Ron Magpie said:


> As you know, I'm quite into treefrogs, but this one is new to me. Fascinating article.:2thumb:


Haha I knew it would be of interest to you Ron : victory: It's quite a Rare species, not many are found in the UK for Sale but I believe Marc had some late 2012!!


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## MantellaMan

*Fauna of Australia; 8) Hylidae - Journal PDF*

Hi everyone (especially Ron because you will like this lol), 

This is just a 15 page PDF about the Hylidae family that are located in Australia. It focuses on several things about the family, from the Reproduction and Development aspects to the Ecology and Natural History of several species! 

Fauna of Australia - The Hylidae Family 

enjoy!


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## MantellaMan

*An expanded phylogeny of treefrogs (Hylidae) 2010 - Journal*

Hi everyone, 

Another, Hylidae PDF which I haven't had a chance to read yet (it's not really high on my list of immediate readings because of the family). 




> Abstract:- The treefrogs (Hylidae) make up one of the most species-rich families of amphibians. With 885 species currently described, they contain >13% of all amphibian species. In recent years, there has been considerable progress in resolving hylid phylogeny. However, the most comprehensive phylogeny to date (Wiens et al., 2006) included only 292 species, was based only on parsimony, provided only poor support for most higher-level relationships, and conflicted with previous hypotheses in several parts (including the monophyly and relationships of major clades of Hylinae). Here, we present an expanded phylogeny for hylid frogs, including data for 362 hylid taxa for up to 11 genes (4 mitochondrial, 7 nuclear), including 70 additional taxa and >270 sequences not included in the previously most comprehensive analysis. The new tree from maximum likelihood analysis is more well-resolved, strongly supported, and concordant with previous hypotheses, and provides a framework for future systematic, biogeographic, ecological, and evolutionary studies.


An expanded phylogeny of treefrogs (Hylidae) based on nuclear and mitochondrial sequence data


----------



## MantellaMan

*Reproductive Behaviour of Melanophryniscus sp. from Sierra de la Ventana - Journal*

Hi again, 

This is about a genus of species that becoming ever more popular within the Pet Trade/Industry, the Melanophryniscus genus. The most commonly kept and most popular within this genus is the Bumblebee Walking Toad (Melanophryniscus stelzneri) which is a tiny yet gorgeous looking species. 

Anyway, this looks into the entire reproductive behaviour of the genus not individual species like the other journal links I have written on here!



> Abstract:- Little is known about the reproductive biology of species of the genus Melanophryniscus. this study provides the first description of amplexus behaviour, egg-laying sites, clutch characteristics and larval development of Melanophryniscus sp., a species of uncertain taxonomic status that is found in the southernmost range of the genus (sierra de la ventana, argentina), and their relationship with habitat features and selection pressures is discussed. Results are compared with the reproductive biology of other species in the genus.


Reproductive Behaviour of Melanophryniscus sp. from Sierra de la Ventana

So, if you're looking into breeding a member of this genus then I think you should give this a good read!


----------



## MantellaMan

*Husbandry Manual of Atelopus zeteki (2006) - Journal*

Hi everyone, 

This is a bit of an odd journal to post about however I found it quite interesting and enlightening in all honesty about one of the most Famous amphibians in the world, the Panama Golden Frog (Atelopus zeteki). You would of know this frog from David Attenborough's "Life in Cole Blood" series in the "Land Invaders" episode, where the last remaining individuals of the species were filmed in the wild just before they were removed, to save the species and to prevent the last individuals to be collected for the Pet Trade. 

They are classed as Critically Endangered (the highest endangered category before proclaiming a species Extinct or Extinct in the Wild) by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, however it is also believed this species could be classified as Extinct in the Wild. 

This little PDF file is about the Captive and Husbandry aspects of keeping the species which I think is amazing to read about the care of a species that is hardly if at all, kept in captivity. 



> A pathogenic fungus capable of causing sporadic deaths in some amphibian populations and 100% mortality in others, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, has been isolated from the skin of dead and dying amphibians on every amphibian-inhabited continent. Chytrid fungi typically live in water or soil, although some are parasites of plants and insects. They reproduce asexually and have spores that 'swim' through the water. Only the amphibian chytrid fungus is known to infect vertebrate species. Individual frogs are thought to contract the disease when their skin comes into contact with water that contains spores from infected animals. Chytrid causes death in post-metamorphic frogs by causing focal hyperkeratosis (thickening) and erosion of epidermis in frogs (excessive skin shedding and/or red areas, generally the first clinical sign) and infects the keratinized mouthparts of tadpoles causing erosion (potential starvation). Some amphibians, including two commercially important and widely traded species, American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) and African clawed frogs (Xenopus leavis), have proven to be carriers of the B. dendrobatidis without becoming susceptable to the disease chytridiomycosis.


Husbandry Manual - Panama Golden Frog (Atelopus zeteki)

I hope you all find this an interesting read, I know I did!!


----------



## MantellaMan

*Whispering to the Deaf - Communication between Atelopus species - Journal*

Hi everyone, 

This is another really interesting Journal looking into the Atelopus genus yet again (I have read a few of Atelopus journals now) but looking into something I find really fascinating is all honesty! 

No doubt all of you would of (if you haven't then you need to) watched Life in Cold Blood with David Attenborough, if you have you would of seen the behind the scenes material of the Panama Golden Frog (Atelopus zeteki) which using movement to communicate with each other because they live in such a noisy environment next to streams and waterfalls. This little 12 page journal talks about the communication methods used by species within the genus. 



> Abstract:- Atelopus franciscus is a diurnal bufonid frog that lives in South-American tropical rain forests. As in many other frogs, males produce calls to defend their territories and attract females. However, this species is a so-called ‘‘earless’’ frog lacking an external tympanum and is thus anatomically deaf. Moreover, A. franciscus has no external vocal sac and lives in a sound constraining environment along river banks where it competes with other calling frogs. Despite these constraints, male A.franciscus reply acoustically to the calls of conspecifics in the field. To resolve this apparent paradox, we studied the vocal apparatus and middle-ear, analysed signal content of the calls, examined sound and signal content propagation in its natural habitat, and performed playback experiments. We show that A. franciscus males can produce only low intensity calls that propagate a short distance (,8 m) as a result of the lack of an external vocal sac. The species-specific coding of the signal is based on the pulse duration, providing a simple coding that is efficient as it allows discrimination from calls of sympatric frogs. Moreover, the signal is redundant and consequently adapted to noisy environments. As such a coding system can be efficient only at short-range, territory holders established themselves at short distances from each other. Finally, we show that the middle-ear of A. franciscus does not present any particular adaptations to compensate for the lack of an external tympanum, suggesting the existence of extra-tympanic pathways for sound propagation.


Whispering to the Deaf: Communication by a Frog without External Vocal Sac or Tympanum in Noisy Environments.


----------



## MantellaMan

*Wesserpeton - New & Extinct Species and Genus Discovered on IOW (2013) - Journal*

Hi all, 

Thought this might interest you all especially the Caudata keepers among you!!  



> Abstract:- A new albanerpetontid, Wesserpeton evansae gen. et sp. nov., from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, southern England, is described. Wesserpeton is established on the basis of a unique combination of primitive and derived characters relating to the frontals and jaws which render it distinct from currently recognised albanerpetontid genera: Albanerpeton (Late Cretaceous to Pliocene of Europe, Early Cretaceous to Paleocene of North America and Late Cretaceous of Asia); Celtedens (Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous of Europe); and Anoualerpeton (Middle Jurassic of Europe and Early Cretaceous of North Africa). Although Wesserpeton exhibits considerable intraspecific variation in characters pertaining to the jaws and, to a lesser extent, frontals, the new taxon differs from Celtedens in the shape of the internasal process and gross morphology of the frontals in dorsal or ventral view. It differs from Anoualerpeton in the lack of pronounced heterodonty of dentary and maxillary teeth; and in the more medial location and direction of opening of the suprapalatal pit. The new taxon cannot be referred to Albanerpeton on the basis of the morphology of the frontals. Wesserpeton currently represents the youngest record of Albanerpetontidae in Britain.


 

A new Albanerpetontid Amphibian from the Barremian (Early Cretaceous) Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, Southern England

BBC News - Isle of Wight Wesserpeton Amphibian Discovered 

Cheers, 

Josh


----------



## MantellaMan

*Refugial isolation and secondary contact in the Dendrobates tinctorius - Journal*

Hi all, 

I haven't uploaded a new PDF Journal for you all to read in a while so thought I would do one on perhaps one of the most popular of the Dendrobatidae and that is, Dying Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius)... 



> Abstract:- Recent palaeoclimactic research suggests that fluctuating environmental conditions throughout the Pleistocene of Amazonia occurred with previously unrecognized frequency. This has resulted in a theoretical shift from glacially influenced fluctuations to those driven by precessional rhythms. This theoretical revolution has a profound impact on expectations of biotic diversity within biogeographical regions that have long been based on the idea of large-scale landscape fragmentation associated with increased aridity and glacial cycles. Generally speaking, this shifts phylogeographical expectations from that of (i) large areas of sympatry of closely related (but not sister) species whose origins lie in separate refugia, and current distributions are the results of cyclic connectivity of those two refugia (refuge hypothesis), to that of (ii) fine scale genetic structure, often associated with elevation, and divergence well below expected speciation levels [disturbance–vicariance (DV) hypothesis]. To date there have been few tests of the expectations of the DV hypothesis based on empirical studies of Neotropical floral and faunal communities. Herein we examine phylogeographical structure of Dendrobates tinctorius, an amphibian species endemic to the uplands of the eastern Guiana Shield, based on sampling of 114 individuals from 24 localities. Phylogenetic, nested clade, and dispersal–vicariance (DIVA) analyses of cytochrome b sequence data reveal the presence of two mitochondrial lineages that are associated with previously identified western and eastern uplands of this area. The geographical distribution of mitochondrial haplotypes and the results of DIVA and coalescent analyses suggest that there has been extensive secondary contact between these lineages indicating a complex history of connectivity between these western and eastern highlands, supporting the predictions of the DV hypothesis.


Refugial isolation and secondary contact in the Dendrobates tinctorius (2006)

Enjoy : victory:


----------



## Ron Magpie

So, the two forms have diverged and remerged several times? Interesting.


----------



## Ron Magpie

This one's quite interesting; I've had a theory for some time that Fire-bellied toads in particular may have a preponderance of one sex or another depending on the temperature they are raised at; something I read recently suggested the same pattern in mossy frogs (we already know that a lot of reptiles have temperature-related sex rations). *If* I've understood it correctly, this paper on genetic work with Ranid frogs finds that the issue is a bit more complicated; the frogs have a *genetic* predisposition toward one sex or another to start with, but then *environmental *factors (including temperature) kick in, and can effectivily over-ride the genetic programme- so that frogs that would otherwise be female become male instead, or vice versa. If somebody wants to read it properly to check my understanding, feel free; my head hurts! :lol2:Disentangling genetic vs. environmental causes of sex determination in the common frog, Rana temporaria


----------



## MantellaMan

*The Population Decline and Extinction of Darwin’s Frogs - Journal*

Hi all,

Been a while since I uploaded a journal but here is one about an amazing genus, a genus of frogs most famously known from "David Attenborough's Ark", a one off episode about the top 10 species he would like to save from extinction.

The Rhinoderma genus contains two species one the Chile Darwin's frog (Rhinoderma rufum) which is classed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN (May already be Extinct in the Wild) and the Darwin's frog (Rhinoderma darwinii) which is classed as Vulnerable.



> Abstract:- Darwin’s frogs (Rhinoderma darwinii and R. rufum) are two species of mouth-brooding frogs from Chile and Argentina. Here, we present evidence on the extent of declines, current distribution and conservation status of Rhinoderma spp.; including information on abundance, habitat and threats to extant Darwin’s frog populations. All known archived Rhinoderma specimens were examined in museums in North America, Europe and South America. Extensive surveys were carried out throughout the historical ranges of R. rufum and R. darwinii from 2008 to 2012. Literature review and location data of 2,244 archived specimens were used to develop historical distribution maps for Rhinoderma spp. Based on records of sightings, optimal linear estimation was used to estimate whether R. rufum can be considered extinct. No extant R. rufum was found and our modelling inferred that this species became extinct in 1982 (95% CI, 1980–2000). Rhinoderma darwinii was found in 36 sites. All populations were within native forest and abundance was highest in Chiloé Island, when compared with Coast, Andes and South populations. Estimated population size and density (five populations) averaged 33.2 frogs/population (range, 10.2–56.3) and 14.9 frogs/100 m2 (range, 5.3–74.1), respectively. Our results provide further evidence that R. rufum is extinct and indicate that R. darwinii has declined to a much greater degree than previously recognised. Although this species can still be found across a large part of its historical range, remaining populations are small and severely fragmented. Conservation efforts for R. darwinii should be stepped up and the species re-classified as Endangered.



The Population Decline and Extinction of Darwin’s Frogs

Hope you all enjoy! : victory:


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## MantellaMan

*Tylototriton - Journal*

Hi all, 

This next journal I am linking you all too is about Tylototriton species and doesn't really contain much writing it's just a collection of photos; 



> Tylototriton asperrimus Unterstein, 1930.
> Tylototriton hainanensis Fei, Ye and Yang, 1984,
> Tylototriton kweichowensis Fang and Chang, 1932,
> Tylototriton shanjing Nussbaum, Brodie and Yang, 1995,
> Tylototriton taliangensis Liu, 1950,
> Tylototriton verrucosus
> Anderson, 1871,
> Tylototriton wenxianensis Fei, Ye and Yang, 1984


Tylototriton Photographs

Not a journal per-say but still nice to see photographs of the different species


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## MantellaMan

*Climatic Oscillations & Phylogeography and Demography of Tylototriton shanjing - Jour*

Hi all, 

Haven't uploaded any new Journals I have on my hard drive due to being so busy lately, so here is a new one on the Mandarin Crocodile Newt (Tylototriton shanjing. 



> Abstract:- Factors that determine the genetic structure of species in southwestern China remain largely unknown. In this study, phylogeography and demography of _Tylototriton shanjing_ was investigated from a mitochondrial perspective to address the role of the Quaternary ice ages in shaping phylogeographic history and genetic diversity of Yunnan. A total of 146 individuals from 19 populations across the entire range of the species were collected. We detected four maternal phylogenetic lineages corresponding to four population groups, and found that major glaciation events during the Pleistocene have triggered the intra-specific divergence. Coalescent simulations indicated that the populations retreated to different refugia located in southern Yunnan, northwestern Yunnan, the border region of western Yunnan with Myanmar, and middle-western Yunnan, respectively, during previous glacial periods in the Pleistocene, and these four refugia were not retained during the Last Glacial Maximum. Population expansions occurred during the last inter-glaciation, during which ice core and pollen data indicated that the temperature and precipitation gradually increased, and declines of population sizes started after the beginning of the Last Glacial Maximum when the climate became cooler and dryer. The paleo-drainage system had no contribution to the current genetic structure and the rivers were not dispersal barriers for this salamander.


Effect of Pleistocene Climatic Oscillations on the Phylogeography and Demography of Red Knobby Newt (_Tylototriton shanjing_) from Southwestern China.

Enjoy you Tylototriton lovers


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## Ron Magpie

So, in contrast to the darts in the other study, these groups diverged earlier than expected, and never re-merged, since their populations, once seperated, never really got the chance to meet up again.


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## lsuvr

*Carotenoid supplementation enhances reproductive success in captive strawberry poison*

Hi Everyone,

Found this paper and thought it was interesting. It also contains a recipe for the fruit fly media they used to improve the reproductive sucess of oophaga pumilio.

*Abstract*

Amphibians are currently experiencing the most severe declines in biodiversity of any vertebrate, and their requirements for successful reproduction are poorly understood. Here, we show that supplementing the diet of prey items (fruit flies) with carotenoids has strong positive effects on the reproduction of captive strawberry poison frogs (_Oophaga pumilio_), substantially increasing the number of metamorphs produced by pairs. This improved reproduction most likely arose via increases in the quality of both the fertilized eggs from which tadpoles develop and trophic eggs that are fed to tadpoles by mothers. Frogs in this colony had previously been diagnosed with a Vitamin A deficiency, and this supplementation may have resolved this issue. These results support growing evidence of the importance of carotenoids in vertebrate reproduction and highlight the nuanced ways in which nutrition constrains captive populations.



http://www.researchgate.net/publica...(Oophaga_pumilio)/file/5046352710a9a74c0f.pdf

Here is the FF media recipe from the paper:

*Ingredient*​ *Quantity (g)*​ *Source*​ Dehydrated potatoes
16.7
7 Idaho Pacific Colorado Corp., Center, CO
Brewer’s yeast
3.7
Lewis Labs, Westport, CT
Confectioner’s sugar
4.9
Bakers and Chefs™, Bentonville, AR
Methylparaben (preservative)
2.7
Frogs, Owasso, MI
Baker’s yeast
0.3
Lasaffre Yeast Corp., Milwaukee, WI
Tap water
80

Spirulina
1.4
Shrimp Direct, Ogden, UT
Marine algae (powdered)
0.7
Brine Shrimp Direct, Ogden, UT
Red phaffia yeast (powdered)
0.7
Brine Shrimp Direct, Ogden, UT


Enjoy

Matt


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## Rosaline

Being a Mantella lover, I have a few journals I have come across via searches on google and came across this one concerning the Cowan's Mantella (Mantella cowani) and its current efforts to conserve this species.


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