oxybelis aeneus , commonly known as the mexican vine snake or brown vine snake , is a species of colubrid snake , which is endemic to the americas .

oxybelis aeneus

dryinus aeneus wagler in spix 1824 : 12 coluber acuminatus wied 1824 : 667 dryinus auratus bell 1825 oxybelis aeneus — duméril & bibron 1854 : 819 dryophis vittatus girard 1854 dryiophis acuminata — cope 1878 : 34 oxybelis acuminatus — bocourt 1897 oxybelis argenteus — bocourt 1897 oxybelis acuminatus — barbour 1916 oxybelis microphthalmus barbour & amaral 1926 oxybelis acuminatus — stuart 1935 : 53 oxybelis potosiensis taylor 1941 oxybelis aeneus aeneus — beebe 1946 : 35 oxybelis auratus — hall 1951 oxybelis aeneus auratus — davis & smith 1953 oxybelis aeneus auratus — zweifel & norris 1955 oxybelis acuminatus — neill & allen 1959 : 56 oxybelis aeneus — gasc & rodrigues 1980 oxybelis aeneus auratus — webb 1984 oxybelis aeneus auratus — tanner 1985 oxybelis aeneus — stebbins 1985 : 220 oxybelis aeneus — villa et al . 1988 oxybelis aeneus — liner 1994 oxybelis aeneus — gorzula & señaris 1999 oxybelis argenteus — gorzula & señaris 1999 ( as valid species ) oxybelis aeneus — lehr 2002 : 95 oxibelis aeneus — porras 2006 ( in error ) oxybelis aeneus — crother et al . 2012 oxybelis aeneus — wallach et al . 2014 : 515
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reproduction in the mexican vine snake oxybelis aeneus ( serpentes : colubridae )
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aspects of the ecology of the neotropical vine snake oxybelis aeneus ( wagler )
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c . michael hogan selected
trophic strategy
to show in overview on
oxybelis aeneus wagler 1824
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hetherington , thomas e . 2006 . oxybelis aeneus diet . herpetological review 37 ( 1 ) : 94 - 95 .
c . michael hogan marked
distribution
as hidden on the
oxybelis aeneus ( wagler , 1824 )
page .
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dimorfismo sexual na “cobra - cipó” oxybelis aeneus ( serpentes , colubridae ) no estado do ceará , brasil
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ökologische und morphologische aspekte einer costaricanischen population von oxybelis aeneus ( wagler , 1824 ) ( serpentes , colubridae )
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hetherington , thomas e . 2006 . oxybelis aeneus diet . herpetological review 37 ( 1 ) : 94 - 95 - get paper here
keiser , e . d . , jr . 1982 . oxybelis aeneus . catalogue of american amphibians and reptiles 305 : 1 - 4 .
keiser , e . d . jr . 1982 . oxybelis aeneus ( wagler ) . catalogue of american amphibians and reptiles 305 : 1–4 .
fleishman , l . j . 1985 . cryptic movement in the vine snake oxybelis aeneus . copeia 1985 ( 1 ) : 242 - 245 .
c . michael hogan marked the classification from
species 2000 & itis catalogue of life : april 2013
as preferred for
oxybelis aeneus wagler 1824
.
goldberg , s . r . 1998 . reproduction in the mexican vine snake oxybelis aeneus ( serpentes : colubridae ) . texas j . science 50 : 51–56 .
groschupf , k . , and s . lower . 1988 . oxybelis aeneus ( brown vine snake ) . behavior . herpetological review 19 ( 4 ) : 85 .
relative abundance in honduras : infrequent max . total length : > 1 m type species : dryinus aeneus wagler 1824 : 12 is the type species of the genus oxybelis wagler 1830 .
henderson , r . w . 1974 . aspects of the ecology of the neotropical vine snake , oxybelis aeneus ( wagler ) . herpetologica 30 ( 1 ) : 19 - 24 .
diener , e . 2007 . die erdspitznatter oxybelis aeneus und die lianennatter leptophis mexicanus als prädatoren der schwarzleguane ctenosaura similis und c . bakeri . elaphe 15 ( 3 ) : 59 - 62
keiser , e . d . jr . 1970 . an usually brevirostrine vine snake of the species oxybelis aeneus ( wagler ) . bulletin of the philadelphia herpetological society 16 : 17 - 19
sotelo , c . a . m . 2009 . mexican vine snake ( oxybelis aeneus ) – ecdysis . sonoran herpetologist 22 ( 8 ) : 86 - 87 . - get paper here
vazquez - diaz , joel ; quintero - diaz , gustavo ; ramirez - bautista , aurelio . 1998 . geographic distribution . oxybelis aeneus . herpetological review 29 ( 2 ) : 115 .
vazquez - diaz , joel ; quintero - diaz , gustavo ; ramirez - bautista , aurelio . 1998 . geographic distribution . oxybelis aeneus . herpetological review 29 ( 3 ) : 178 .
arizona game and fish department . 2003 . oxybelis aeneus . unpublished abstract compiled and edited by the heritage data management system , arizona game and fish department , phoenix , az . 4 pp .
diener , e . 2007 . die erdspitznatter oxybelis aeneus und die lianennatter leptophis mexicanus als prädatoren der schwarzleguane ctenosaura similis und c . bakeri . elaphe 15 ( 3 ) : 59 - 62 .
keiser , e . d . jr . 1970 . an usually brevirostrine vine snake of the species oxybelis aeneus ( wagler ) . bulletin of the philadelphia herpetological society 16 : 17 - 19 .
vazquez - diaz , joel ; quintero - diaz , gustavo ; ramirez - bautista , aurelio 1998 . geographic distribution . oxybelis aeneus . herpetological review 29 ( 2 ) : 115 - get paper here
vazquez - diaz , joel ; quintero - diaz , gustavo ; ramirez - bautista , aurelio 1998 . geographic distribution . oxybelis aeneus . herpetological review 29 ( 3 ) : 178 - get paper here
kennedy , j . p . 1965 . notes on the habitat and behavior of a snake , oxybelis aeneus wagler , in veracruz . the southwestern naturalist 10 ( 2 ) : 136 - 139 .
keiser , e . d . , jr . 1974 . a systematic study of the neotropical vine snake oxybelis aeneus ( wagler ) . bull . texas mem . mus . 22 : 1 - 51 .
franzen , michael . 1996 . ökologische und morphologische aspekte einer costaricanischen population von oxybelis aeneus ( wagler , 1824 ) ( serpentes : colubridae ) . herpetozoa 9 ( 3 / 4 ) : 121 - 131 .
lópez - de la cruz , juan , carol s . burnett - pérez and armando h . escobedo - galvan . 2016 . oxybelis aeneus ( brown vinesnake ) diet . herpetological review 47 ( 2 ) : 314
franzen , michael 1996 . ökologische und morphologische aspekte einer costaricanischen population von oxybelis aeneus ( wagler , 1824 ) ( serpentes : colubridae ) . herpetozoa 9 ( 3 / 4 ) : 121 - 131 - get paper here
keiser , e . d . jr . 1969 . an unusual speciment of the neotropical vine snake , oxybelis aeneus ( wagler ) , from zacatecas , mexico . british journal of herpetology 4 ( 5 ) : 116 - 117
quintero - díaz , g . e . , and r . a . carbajal - márquez . 2017 . oxybelis aeneus ( wagler , 1824 ) . maximum elevation . mesoamerican herpetology 4 ( 1 ) : 181–182 - get paper here
keiser , e . d . jr . 1969 . an unusual speciment of the neotropical vine snake , oxybelis aeneus ( wagler ) , from zacatecas , mexico . british journal of herpetology 4 ( 5 ) : 116 - 117 .
da silva , cristiana ferreira , edna paulino de alcantara , herivelto faustino de oliveira , maria aurea soares do oliveira and robson waldemar ávila . 2015 . oxybelis aeneus ( brown vinesnake ) diet . herpetological review 46 ( 4 ) : 648
scientific name : oxybelis aeneus description : extremely thin 3 ' to 5 ' brown / gray snake that closely resembles a vine . very elongated snout . inhabits trees and shrubs . this snake has a very small range in southern arizona .
i ' m starting to get jealous aether , you find some beautiful critters . i agree with oxybelis aeneus . vine snakes venom is reptile specific ( they primarily eat lizards ) and has virtually no affect on humans or even mice .
grant , paul b . c . ; todd r . lewis . 2010 . predation attempt by oxybelis aeneus ( wagler ) ( mexican vine - snake ) on basiliscus plumifrons ( cope ) . acta herpetologica 5 ( 1 ) : 19 - 22 .
grant , paul b . c . ; todd r . lewis 2010 . predation attempt by oxybelis aeneus ( wagler ) ( mexican vine - snake ) on basiliscus plumifrons ( cope ) . acta herpetologica 5 ( 1 ) : 19 - 22 - get paper here
van devender , thomas r . ; lowe , charles h . ; lawler , howard e . 1994 . facters influencing the distribution of the neotropical vine snake ( oxybelis aeneus ) in arizona and sonora , mexico . herpetological natural history 2 ( 1 ) : 25 - 42
van devender , thomas r . ; lowe , charles h . ; lawler , howard e . 1994 . facters influencing the distribution of the neotropical vine snake ( oxybelis aeneus ) in arizona and sonora , mexico . herpetological natural history 2 ( 1 ) : 25 - 42 .
van devender , t . r . , c . h . lowe , and h . e . lawlor . 1994 . factors influencing the distribution of the neotropical vine snake ( oxybelis aeneus ) in arizona and sonora , mexico . herpetological natural history 2 ( 1 ) : 25 - 42 .
to cite this page : grant , k . 2000 .
oxybelis fulgidus
( on - line ) , animal diversity web . accessed july 09 , 2018 at urltoken
also included in the genus oxybelis are three other latin american species , the green vine snake ( please see photo ) , cope’s vine snake , and roatan vine snake .
the generic name oxybelis is derived from the greek words oxy , meaning
pointed
and belas , meaning
dart ,
in reference to the elongated head . the specific epithet is the latin word aeneus , meaning
bronze , or copper
in reference to the body color of the holotype ( lemos - espinal & dixon 2013 ) .
some uncertainty appears to remain concerning the taxonomic status of s . aeneus subniger ( see : guillette and smith 1985 , sites et al . 1992 , flores - villela 1993 , mink and sites 1996 , wiens and reeder 199 , bell et al . 2003 ) . we follow flores - villela ( 1993 ) pending additional studies into the relationship between aeneus and subniger .
keiser jr . , e . d . 1975 . observations on tongue extension of vine snakes ( genus oxybelis ) with suggested behavioral hypotheses . herpetologica 31 ( 1 ) : 131 - 133 .
lectotype : zsm 2645 / 0 , female , collected by spix and martius expedition to brazil 1817 - 1820 , designated by hoogmoed & gruber 1983 : 326 . holotype : mcz r - 22417 [ microphthalmus ] holotype : amnh r3886 [ coluber acuminatus ] holotype : uimnh 5069 ( 23614 ) [ oxybelis potosiensis ]
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a long ( up to 1 , 620 mm or 60
in total length ) and exceptionally thin snake that closely resembles a vine . coloration ranges from gray to silver - gray or copper with short , dark , dash - like lines at mid - body . the head is very narrow , pointed , and elongated . a dark line runs from the snout , through the eye , and onto the neck . a furrow runs from the eye to the snout on each side of the head . the throat and lower sides of the face are often bright yellow to yellow - green . this yellow coloration extends onto the underside of the neck and then grades into a plain , cream colored belly . the pupils are round and the scales are smooth .
this snake has an enormous range extending from south america through mexico and into extreme south - central arizona . in our state it has only been documented from the atascosa , patagonia , and pajarito mountains at elevations ranging from 3 , 600 ' to 6 , 200 ' .
we request that if you make use of the textual contents of this site in reports , publications , etc . that you cite and credit the author ( s ) and photographer ( s ) . all photos on this website are copyrighted . however , those found in the species account and habitat sections may be used for any noncommercial scientific , educational , or conservation purposes provided that photographs are not altered and continue to bear the copyright symbol and name of the photographer . please contact the photographer regarding commercial use of copyrighted photographs .
belize , nicaragua ( incl . corn island ) , costa rica , panama ,
potosiensis : mexico ( san luis potosí ) ; type locality : mexico : 32 mi n ciudad maiz , san luis potosí ; e . h . taylor ; summer , 1940 .
note : tdwg regions are generated automatically from the text in the distribution field and not in every cases it works well . we are working on it .
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barbour , t . & loveridge , a . 1929 . amphibians and reptiles [ of the corn islands , nicaragua ] . bull . mus . comp . zool . harvard 69 : 138 - 146 - get paper here
beebe , william 1946 . field notes on the snakes of kartabo , british guiana , and caripito , venezuela . zoologica 31 : 11 - 52 - get paper here
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bezy , robert l . and charles j . cole 2014 . amphibians and reptiles of the madrean archipelago of arizona and new mexico . american museum novitates ( 3810 ) : 1 - 24 - get paper here
blanco - torres , argelina ; lina báez s . , edgar patiño - flores , juan m . renjifo - r . 2013 . herpetofauna from the middle valley of the ranchería river , la guajira , colombia rev . biodivers . neotrop . 3 ( 2 ) : 113 - 22
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campbell , j . a . 1998 . amphibians and reptiles of northern guatemala , the yucatán , and belize . norman : university of oklahoma press , xiii + 380 pp . - get paper here
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castro - franco , rubén , maría guasalupe bustos - zagal 1994 . list of reptiles of morelos , mexico , and their distribution in relation to vegetation types . southwestern naturalist 39 ( 2 ) : 171 - 175 - get paper here
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castro - herrera , f . ; bolívar - garcía , w . & herrera - montes , m . i . 2007 . guía de los anfibios y reptiles des bosque de yotoco , valle deel cauca , colombia . universidad del valle , cali , colombia , 70 pp . - get paper here
castro - herrera , fernando ; anyelet valencia - aguilar , diego villaquiran - martínez 2012 . diversidad de anfibios y reptiles del parque nacional natural isla gorgona universidad del valle , santiago de cali , valle del cauca , 112 pp .
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cavalcanti , l . b . q . ; t . b . costa ; g . r . colli ; g . c . costa ; f . g . r . frança ; d . o . mesquita ; c . k . s . palmeira ; n . pelegrin ; a . h . b . soares ; d . b . tucker ; a . a . garda 2014 . herpetofauna of protected areas in the caatinga ii : serra da capivara national park , piauí , brazil . check list 10 ( 1 ) : 18 - 27 - get paper here
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cole , charles j . ; carol r . townsend , robert p . reynolds , ross d . macculloch , and amy lathrop 2013 . amphibians and reptiles of guyana , south america : illustrated keys , annotated species accounts , and a biogeographic synopsis . proceedings of the biological society of washington 125 ( 4 ) : 317 - 578 ; plates : 580 - 620 - get paper here
cope , e . d . 1878 . synopsis of the cold blooded vertebrata , procured by prof . james orton , during his exploration of peru in 1876 - 77 . proc . amer . philos . soc . 17 : 33 - 49 [ 1877 ] - get paper here
cortés gómez , angela maría ; anyelet valencia aguilar , diana marcela torres domínguez , lina maría garcía calderón , diego fernando villaquirán martínez , andrea del pilar cáceres franco , fernando castro herrera 2010 . guía de los anfibios y reptiles . área en conservación de la microcuenca quebrada pericos . [ valle de cauca , colombia ] . corporación autónoma regional del valle del cauca , santiago de cali : cvc , 37 pp . - get paper here
crother , b . i . ( ed . ) 2012 . standard common and current scientific names for north american amphibians , turtles , reptiles , and crocodilians , seventh edition . herpetological circular 39 : 1 - 92
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duméril , a . m . c . , bibron , g . & duméril , a . h . a . , 1854 . erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles . tome septième . deuxième partie , comprenant l ' histoire des serpents venimeux . paris , librairie encyclopédique de roret : i - xii + 781 - 1536 - get paper here
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esqueda , l . f . & la marca , e . 1999 . new reptilian species records from the cordillera de mérida , andes of venezuela . herpetological review 30 ( 4 ) : 238 - 240 - get paper here
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franca , f . g . r . ; daniel o . mesquita , cristiano c . nogueira , and < br / > alexandre f . b . araújo 2008 . phylogeny and ecology determine morphological structure in a snake assemblage in the central brazilian cerrado . copeia 2008 ( 1 ) : 23 - 38 - get paper here
franca , f . g . r . ; mesquita , daniel oliveira and guarino rinaldi colli 2006 . a checklist of snakes from amazonian savannas in brazil , housed in the coleção herpetológica da universidade de brasília , with new distribution records . occ . pap . oklahoma mus . nat . hist . , univ . oklahoma 17 : 1 - 13
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freitas , marco antonio de 2014 . squamate reptiles of the atlantic forest of northern bahia , brazil . check list 10 ( 5 ) : 1020 - 1030 - get paper here
freitas , marco antonio de ; arthur diesel abegg , iuri ribeiro dias , elbano paschoal de figueiredo moraes 2018 . herpetofauna from serra da jibóia , an atlantic rainforest remnant in the state of bahia , northeastern brazil herpetology notes 11 : 59 - 72 - get paper here
freitas , marco antonio de ; guarino r . colli , omar machado entiauspe - neto , luiz trinchão , daniel araújo , tiago de oliveira lima , daniella pereira fagundes de frança , renato gaiga , pedro dias 2016 . snakes of cerrado localities in western bahia , brazil . check list 12 ( 3 ) : 1896 - get paper here
freitas , marco antônio ; omar machado entiauspe - neto , tiago de oliveira lima , josé soares da silva neto , daniel araujo & jonathan márcio soares da silva 2016 . snakes of juazeiro , bahia , middle of são francisco river , brazil . bol . mus . biol . mello leitão ( n . sér . ) 38 ( 4 ) : 331 - 345 .
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garda , a . a . ; t . b . costa ; c . r . santos - silva ; d . o . mesquita ; r . g . faria ; b . m . conceição ; i . r . s . silva ; a . s . ferreira ; s . m . rocha ; c . n . s . palmeira ; r . rodrigues ; s . f . ferrari ; s . torquato . 2013 . herpetofauna of protected areas in the caatinga i : raso da catarina ecological station ( bahia , brazil ) . check list 9 ( 2 ) : 405 - 414 - get paper here
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guedes , thaís b . ; < br / > ricardo j . sawaya , < br / > alexander zizka , < br / > shawn laffan , < br / > søren faurby , < br / > r . alexander pyron , < br / > renato s . bérnils , < br / > martin jansen , < br / > paulo passos , < br / > ana l . c . prudente , < br / > diego f . cisneros - heredia , < br 2017 . patterns , biases and prospects in the distribution and diversity of neotropical snakes . global ecol biogeogr 00 : 1–8 - get paper here
guerra centeno , dennis ; héctor fuentes rousselin & david morán villatoro 2012 . serpientes de guatemala : guía para didentificación de especies . universidad de san carlos de guatemala , 186 pp .
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hallmen , s . 2011 . neues aus utila - reloaded . iguana rundschreiben 24 ( 2 ) : 5 - 16 - get paper here
hamdan , b . & r . m . lira - da - silva 2012 . the snakes of bahia state , northeastern brazil : species richness , composition and biogeographical notes . salamandra 48 ( 1 ) : 31 - 50 - get paper here
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johnson , m . l . 1946 . herpetological notes from trinidad . copeia 1946 ( 2 ) : 108 - get paper here
koch , claudia ; pablo j . venegas , roy santa cruz , wolfgang böhme 2018 . annotated checklist and key to the species of amphibians and reptiles inhabiting the northern peruvian dry forest along the andean valley of the marañón river and its tributaries zootaxa 4385 ( 1 ) : 001–101 - get paper here
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larreal , j . t . ; g . a . rivas ; c . portillo - quintero ; t . r . barros 2012 . squamata reptiles of a fragment of tropical dry forest in northwestern venezuela ( lake maracaibo region ) . check list 8 ( 6 ) : 1220 - 1224 - get paper here
lee , j . c . 2000 . a field guide to the amphibians and reptiles of the maya world . cornell university press , ithaca ,
lee , j . c . 1996 . the amphibians and reptiles of the yucatán peninsula . comstock , cornell university press , ithaca , 500 pp .
lehr , e . 2002 . amphibien und reptilien in peru . natur und tier - verlag ( münster ) , 208 pp . - get paper here
lehr , e . ; köhler , g . & streit , b . 2002 . die herpetofauna von mittelperu entlang eines transektes von der pazifischen küste bis in die hochanden ( amphibia et reptilia ) . faun . abh . mus . tierk . dresden 22 ( 2 ) : 361 - 392
lemos - espinal ja , smith gr , cruz a 2016 . amphibians and reptiles of the state of nuevo león , mexico . zookeys 594 : 123 - 141 , doi : 10 . 3897 / zookeys . 594 . 8289 - get paper here
lemos - espinal , julio a . and james r . dixon 2013 . amphibians and reptiles of san luis potosí . eagle mountain publishing , xii + 300 pp .
lemos - espinal , julio a . , geoffrey r . smith 2015 . amphibians and reptiles of the state of hidalgo , mexico . check list 11 ( 3 ) : 1642 - get paper here
leyte - manrique , adrian ; christian berriozabal - islas , vicente mata - silva , and juan pablo morales - castorena 2018 . herpetofaunal diversity in área natural protegida las musas , guanajuato , mexico mesoamerican herpetology 5 ( 1 ) : 122–136 - get paper here
leyte - manrique , adrian ; efrén m . hernández navarro y luis a . escobedo - morales 2015 . herpetofauna de guanajuato : un análisis histórico y contemporáneo de su conocimiento revista mexicana de herpetología 1 ( 1 ) : 1–14 - get paper here
lillywhite , harvey b . 2014 . how snakes work : structure , function and behavior of the world ' s snakes . oxford university press , new york , 256 pp
loc - barragán , jesús alberto and david lazcano 2018 . notes on the herpetofauna of nayarit , mexico 1 : amphibians and reptiles of the municipality of tecuala . bulletin of the chicago herpetological society 53 ( 4 ) : 73 - 80
luja vh , lópez ja , cruz - elizalde r , ramírez - bautista a 2017 . herpetofauna inside and outside from a natural protected area : the case of reserva estatal de la biósfera sierra san juan , nayarit , mexico . nature conservation 21 : 15 - 38 - get paper here
madella - auricchio , cláudia renata ; paulo auricchio enio saraiva soares 2017 . reptile species composition in the middle gurguéia and comparison with inventories in the eastern parnaíba river basin , state of piauí , brazil papéis avulsos de zoologia 57 ( 28 ) : 375 - 386 ,
martin , plul s . 1958 . a biogeography of reptiles and amphibians in the gomez farias region , tamaulipas , mexico . miscellaneous publications , museum of zoology , university of michigan ( 101 ) : 1 - 102 + 7 plates - get paper here
mata - silva , vicente , jerry d . johnson , larry david wilson and elí garcía - padilla . 2015 . the herpetofauna of oaxaca , mexico : composition , physiographic distribution , and conservation status . mesoamerican herpetology 2 ( 1 ) : 6–62 - get paper here
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mccranie , j . r . & wilson , l . d . 2001 . the herpetofauna of the mexican state of aguascalientes . courier forschungsinstitut senckenberg 230 : 1 - 57
mccranie , james r . 2015 . a checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of honduras , with additions , comments on taxonomy , some recent taxonomic decisions , and areas of further studies needed . zootaxa 3931 ( 3 ) : 352–386 - get paper here
medeiros - magalhães , felipe de ; daniel orsi laranjeiras , taís borges costa , flora acuña juncá , daniel oliveira mesquita , david lucas röhr , willianilson pessoa da silva , gustavo henrique calazans vieira , adrian antonio garda 2015 . herpetofauna of protected areas in the caatinga iv : chapada diamantina national park , bahia , brazil herpetology notes 8 : 243 - 261 - get paper here
medina - rangel , guido fabián 2013 . cambio estacional en el uso de los recursos de la comunidad de reptiles en el complejo cenagoso de zapatosa , departamento del cesar ( colombia ) . caldasia 35 ( 1 ) : 103 - 122
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mesquita , daniel o . ; brygida c . f . alves , carmem k . b . pedro , daniel o . laranjeiras , francis l . s . caldas , isabella m . m . c . pedrosa , jefter b . rodrigues , leandro o . drummond , lucas b . q . cavalcanti , milena wachlevski , paulo nogueira - costa , rafaela c . fran 2018 . herpetofauna in two habitat types ( tabuleiros and stational semidecidual forest ) in the reserva biológica guaribas , northeastern brazil . herpetology notes 11 : 455 - 474
morato , s . a . a . ; calixto , p . o . ; mendes , l . r . ; gomes , r . ; galatti , u . ; trein , f . l . ; oliveira , f . s . ; ferreira , g . n . 2014 . guia fotográfico de identificação da herpetofauna da floresta nacional de saracá - taquera , estado do pará . curitiba : stcp engenharia de projetos ltda . ; porto trombetas : mrn – mineração rio do norte s . a . ; 213 p . - get paper here
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zweifel , r . g . and norris , k . s . 1955 . contributions to the herpetology of sonora , mexico : descriptions of new subspecies of snakes ( micruroides euryxanthus and lampropeltis getulus ) and miscellaneous collecting notes . american midland naturalist 54 : 230 - 249 - get paper here
this database is maintained by peter uetz ( database content ) and jakob hallermann , zoological museum hamburg ( new species and updates ) .
comments : catches lizards on the ground or in trees . injects prey with an immobilizing venom .
classification from species 2000 & itis catalogue of life : april 2013 selected by c . michael hogan - see more .
lesser detail than other text object information on this taxon on eol regarding range .
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is native to extreme south of united states ( sc . arizona ) , through mexico and central america to southern brazil and central bolivia . in mexico it is found along both coasts .
slender , vine - like snake with elongated head and pointed snout . females are larger than males . average snout - vent length is 64 to 87 cm . tail is very long - up to 70 % of snout vent length . eyes with round pupils are moderately large . scales on upper body are weakly keeled or smooth .
this species is rear fanged and although slightly poisonous , not dangerous to humans . bites may cause irritation .
color of upper surface is light tan , brown or gray , often with small dark spots . labial scales and throat are white or yellowish and a black stripe across the eye is present . underbody is light tan or gray without any pattern .
is diurnal and primarily arboreal . occasionally can also be found on ground . when threatened forms a coil and strikes weakly with mouth opened displaying black lined oral cavity .
this species inhabits low and moderate elevations of thorn forest , second growth and forest edges . also tropical deciduous forest and oak savannah .
video taken at residencial campisa , san pedro sula , honduras . video tomado en residencial campisa , san pedro sula , honduras
new premiere date : feb . 18th | iguana vs snake - planet earth ii on bbc america
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snake species of the world , vol . undetermined , manuscript ( version 2004 )
working manuscript of follow - up volumes to mcdiarmid et al . ( 1999 ) ,
snake species of the world : a taxonomic and geographic reference , vol . 1
banks , r . c . , r . w . mcdiarmid , a . l . gardner , and w . c . starnes
checklist of vertebrates of the united states , the u . s . territories , and canada , draft ( 2004 )
banks , r . c . , r . w . mcdiarmid , and a . l . gardner
checklist of vertebrates of the united states , the u . s . territories , and canada
flores - villela , oscar / mccoy , c . j . , ed .
disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay .
to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .
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format summary genbank genbank ( full ) fasta asn . 1 xml insdseq xml tinyseq xml feature table accession list gi list gff3
finds sub - sequences or patterns in the sequence and highlights the matching regions . the tool works with standard single letter nucleotide or protein codes including ambiguities and can match prosite patterns in protein sequences . more . . .
finds sub - sequence or patterns in the sequence and highlights the matching region . the tool works with standard single letter nucleotide or protein codes including ambiguities and can match prosite patterns in protein sequences . more . . .
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
canseco - márquez , l . , mendoza - quijano , f . & ponce - campos , p .
justification : listed as least concern in view of its wide distribution , presumed large population , it occurs in a number of protected areas , and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category .
this species is endemic to mexico , where it ranges from western puebla , to western michoacan and jalisco ( north of the mexican plateau ) , to northern guanajuato , queretaro and hidalgo . it is found from 1 , 850 to 3 , 600 m asl .
the species inhabits in a great variety of habitats and microhabitats such as pine forest , bunchgrass , rocky areas and rock crevices . it is present in modified habitats including agricultural land . it is a viviparous species .
it is present in at least five protected areas . no specific conservation measures are needed for this species .
canseco - márquez , l . , mendoza - quijano , f . & ponce - campos , p . 2007 .
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the lacandona rainforest represents one of the most diverse mexican tropical wet forests . although some studies have described the amphibians and reptiles of the region , most herpetological lists come from the northern part of the lacandona , and there are no confirmed records for many of the expected species . we reviewed databases of scientific collections , taxonomy , and published herpetological lists to produce the most recent updated list of amphibian and reptile species in the region ( 35 amphibians and 90 reptiles ) . furthermore , based on recent inventories ( 2007–2013 ) we establish 40 range extensions of 8 amphibians and 32 reptiles for the southeastern part of the lacandona rainforest . four out of these 40 records confirmed the occurrence of dermophis mexicanus , eleutherodactylus leprus , pantherophis flavirufus , and bothriechis schlegelii in the region .
la selva lacandona representa uno de los bosques húmedos tropicales más diversos de méxico . aunque algunos estudios han descrito a los anfibios y reptiles de la región , la mayoría de los listados herpetológicos proceden de la parte norte de la lacandona y no existen registros confirmados para muchas de las especies esperadas . se han revisado bases de datos de colecciones científicas , la taxonomía y listados herpetológicos publicados para generar la lista más actualizada de especies de anfibios y reptiles de la región ( 35 anfibios y 90 reptiles ) . además , con base en inventarios recientes ( 2007–2013 ) se estableció la extensión del área de distribución de 8 anfibios y 32 reptiles para la parte sureste de la selva lacandona . cuatro de estos 40 registros confirmaron la presencia de dermophis mexicanus , eleutherodactylus leprus , pantherophis flavirufus y bothriechis schlegelii en la región .
copyright © 2018 elsevier b . v . or its licensors or contributors . sciencedirect ® is a registered trademark of elsevier b . v .
this snake is most often found inhabiting rainforest or gallery forest , and because of its leafy coloration it is hard to detect ( lamar 1997 ) .
this species has a pointy head with leafy green coloration on its dorsum and lighter green on its ventrum . its iris is golden colored with a round pupil . it can reach in excess of 6 feet ( lamar 1997 ) .
the only information available on the green vine snake ' s reproduction is that like most of its reptile relatives it lays eggs ( lamar 1997 ) .
not much is known about the activities or behavior of this animal . one of the only things that is known is that as a means of warning or defense it will flatten its head to appear larger and more threatening . it is an arboreal snake that specializes in
sit and wait
predation ( seigel 1993 ) .
is very adept at capturing birds , and in some areas specializes in catching hummingbirds . it will sometimes position itself next to a flower and remain motionless , waiting for hummingbirds to approach ( lamar 1997 ) .
kathleen grant ( author ) , michigan state university , james harding ( editor ) , michigan state university .
living in the nearctic biogeographic province , the northern part of the new world . this includes greenland , the canadian arctic islands , and all of the north american as far south as the highlands of central mexico .
the area in which the animal is naturally found , the region in which it is endemic .


the cape melville shade skink ( saproscincus saltus ) is a species of lizards from the cape york peninsula of queensland , australia , described in 2013 .

it was one of three vertebrates discovered by scientists from james cook university and national geographic in an area of mountain rainforest in north queensland .

the lizards are active by day , running and jumping through the mossy boulder fields of northern queensland .

cape melville shade skink

a cape melville shade skink ( saproscincus saltus ) , a newly discovered australian skink species found in 2013 .
image - cape melville shade skink . jpg | all species wiki | fandom powered by wikia
hoskin holds a new species of shade skink . the golden - colored lizard lives in the moist rocky rainforest on the plateau .
another plant , the cape melville nightshade , was also discovered to be endemic , as well as three vertebrates : the cape melville snake - eyed skink , and the cape melville tree frog and cape melville boulder - frog , discovered in 1998 , ’97 and ’98 , respectively .
the new species include a 20cm long leaf - tailed gecko , a new species of boulder frog and a new species of shade skink .
these would ultimately be described as the cape melville bar - lipped skink ( glaphyromorphus othelarrni ) and the cape melville rainbow skink ( carlia wundalthini ) , respectively . the species names for both were chosen in collaboration with the bubu gudjin , the traditional owners of this land .
the cape melville shade skink is also a lanky fellow , but unlike its gecko neighbor , it can be found hunting during the day , hopping across mossy boulders in search of insects . it has a golden hue and is isolated to the plateau rainforest .
during their first day , the team bushwhacked through the dim , boulder - strewn forest of hoop pines and foxtail palms , and before long , a new species of skink—a type of reptile —came running and jumping across the mossy boulders . the species was later named the cape melville shade skink , saproscincus saltus , which is described this week in zootaxa .
) was among the three new vertebrate species discovered in cape melville , australia . photograph : tim laman
hoskin , conrad j . ( 2013 ) . a new skink ( scincidae : saproscincus ) from rocky rainforest habitat on cape melville , north - east australia . zootaxa , 3722 ( 3 ) : 385 - 395 .
- hoskin , conrad j . ( 2013 ) . a new skink ( scincidae : saproscincus ) from rocky rainforest habitat on cape melville , north - east australia . zootaxa , 3722 ( 3 ) : 385 - 395 .
the beautiful golden - coloured cape melville shade skink ( saproscincus saltus ) is also restricted to moist rocky rainforest on the plateau . it is also long - limbed , but unlike the gecko is active by day , running and jumping across the mossy boulders – the species name
saltus
means
leaping
. this species is highly distinct from its relatives found in rainforests to the south .
the newly discovered cape melville leaf - tailed gecko found in northern queensland . photograph : conrad hoskin / afp / getty images
also discovered during the expedition was the blotched boulder - frog , a small frog that lives among the many boulders in the cape melville range . it is believed that the three new species have been isolated on cape melville for millions of years .
in march , a team of scientists and filmmakers joined the ranks of the few human visitors to the misty rain forest atop the melville range , a small mountain range on cape melville , part of northeastern australia ' s cape york peninsula ( map ) .
given the discoveries , there will likely be more expeditions - - and more secrets uncovered - - on cape melville in the future .
the discovered species , which also include a leaf - tail gecko and a golden skink , have been isolated in a remote mountain range on cape york peninsula for millions of years , according to james cook university .
the cape melville leaf - tailed gecko , a spectacular species discovered during the surveys , is known from an area of the uplands just 100m across .
longer - limbed than its brethren , this golden - brown skink lives only on the rain forest plateau , scurrying along the rocks in search of insects .
a recent expedition in northeast australia found three vertebrate species , including this leaf - tailed gecko , that have never been seen before . the species were discovered in the cape melville mountain range on australia ' s cape york peninsula .
the next morning we woke early and headed higher , onto a ridge . it looked different up here – moister , mossier and rockier . as we walked through an enchanting area of boulders under low rainforest , a small lizard leaping between two boulders caught my eye . there in front of me was an undescribed skink – golden and long - limbed . it was a new species of saproscincus , a genus of lizards found in rainforests to the south . i subsequently named the species the cape melville shade skink ( saproscincus saltus , saltus meaning ‘leaping’ ) . it is the most northerly member of its group and , with its bizarrely long limbs and flattened body , the only one that is adapted to living among the rocks .
and what does the future look like for these unique species ? cape melville np is now jointly managed by queensland parks and wildlife service and the cape melville , flinders and howick islands aboriginal corporation . but despite formal protection and the fortress - like boulder - field slopes surrounding the uplands , there are still threats to this unique environment .
the cape melville boulder - frog is one of eight endemic vertebrates . it only emerges from the depths of boulder fields in wet weather . ( image : tim laman )
although i’d hoped that cape melville might harbour such a species , i could hardly believe it was true . the cape melville leaf - tailed gecko ( saltuarius eximius , with eximius meaning ‘extraordinary’ or ‘exquisite’ ) received international fame when it was chosen by the international institute for species exploration in their annual list of the top 10 species discovered globally .
also discovered was the blotched boulder frog , which is found only in the boulder field at cape melville . its species name , cophixalus petrophilus , means rock - loving .
dr hoskin , who lectures at james cook univeristy in marine and tropical biology , is planning a longer expedition to the cape melville range to look for other new species .
a leaf - tail gecko , a golden - coloured skink and a boulder - dwelling frog are three new species discovered in a
lost world
in northern queensland , australia .
tropical biologist conrad hoskin scrambles over massive boulders looking for reptiles and amphibians on the melville range .
the team plans to return to cape melville—which hoskin calls a
magical little place
—within months to search for more new species , including snails , spiders , and even perhaps small mammals .
scientists from james cook university and national geographic were dropped by helicopter in march this year into a remote mountain range on cape melville , to explore a pristine rainforest strewn with huge black granite boulders .
the new species , dubbed the cape melville leaf - tailed gecko ( saltuarius eximius ) , is
spectacular ,
said hoskin , who published a paper on the species october 1 in zootaxa .
luckily , harvard university researcher and national geographic photographer tim laman —who led the cape york biodiversity expedition— became intrigued by hoskins descriptions of cape melville , and teamed up with hoskin for this expedition , which was funded by the national geographic expeditions council . ( see more pictures of the expedition . )
cape melville is a peninsula dominated by the melville range . this sits alone , rising from the plains of drier forests to the south , and bounded on its other sides by the sea . the nearest significant rainforest is 200km south in the ranges of the wet tropics or in the mcilwraith range , 130km north - west on the cape york peninsula . getting there by car from cairns is an easy drive to laura and then a long , tough drive through rinyirru ( lakefield ) national park to cape melville national park , where you finally pop out on the beach at bathurst bay – where i’d stood a decade earlier .
these species are restricted to the upland rainforest and boulder fields of cape melville . they ' ve been isolated there for millennia , evolving into distinct species in their unique rocky environment ,
hoskin said .
before the expedition , the team had talked about the possibility of an undiscovered leaf - tailed gecko living at cape melville , but the mountain range ' s limited size made finding such a relatively large animal unlikely .
all the animals from cape melville are incredible just for their ability to persist for millions of years in the same area and not go extinct . it ' s just mind - blowing ,
hoskin said .
the top of cape melville is a lost world . finding these new species up there is the discovery of a lifetime ,
hoskin said .
i ' m still amazed and buzzing from it .
biologist conrad hoskin made the incredible discovery at the cape melville range when he and a team of national geographic explored the unique region on the eastern coast of the peninsula where large boulders protect a rainforest from the elements .
saproscincus saltus was discovered along with the cape melville leaf - tailed gecko . this skink is a golden colour and is also restricted to the moist and rocky rainforest atop the plateau . it is long - limbed , but unlike the gecko it is active during the day . the species name ‘saltus’ , means ‘leaping’ , referring to its tendency to run and jump while hunting prey . the species is quite different from its relative in the southern rainforests .
the new species were discovered within pockets of rainforest and boulder fields .
the top of cape melville is a lost world ,
hoskin said .
finding these new species up there is the discovery of a lifetime .
added laman ,
what ' s really exciting about this expedition is that in a place like australia , which people think is fairly well explored , there are still places like cape melville where there are all these species to discover .
though the skink was skittish , both the frog and gecko had no fear of their first human contact :
it ' s such a foreign experience to have a human with a head torch on pick them up ,
hoskin said .
that’s on top of the two known endemic plants and no doubt more species awaiting discovery – and all within an area about the size of sydney’s city centre . for reptiles and frogs , the species diversity in the rainforest at cape melville is not that high . however , it is the distinctiveness of the species here that sets cape melville apart . why are there so many endemic species ? and why are they so unusual ? the answer to both those questions involves the rock .
dr conrad hoskin from james cook university and national geographic photographer / harvard university researcher dr tim laman went on an expedition earlier this year to explore a remote mountain range on cape york peninsula in north - east australia . though surveys had been conducted in the boulder - fields around the base of cape melville , the plateau of rainforest on top had been largely unexplored .
an expedition by helicopter to an isolated mountain plateau on the cape york peninsula resulted in the discovery of a whole new ecosystem .
the melville range is small and not particularly high – about 600m above sea level at its highest – compared with other rainforest refugial areas such as the wet tropics , with many mountains more than 1000m . the upland area is important for rainforest persistence because , historically , rainforest contracted to cool , moist peaks during globally dry periods . but what cape melville lacks in scale , it makes up for in rock .
tropical biologist conrad hoskin , an expert in frog and reptiles at australia ' s james cook university , has long been interested in the area :
i ' ve explored a lot of spots , and cape melville always stood out as that place ,
he said .
surveys had previously been conducted in the boulder fields around the base of cape melville , among
millions of giant , piled up boulders the size of houses and cars
but the plateau had remained largely unexplored , fortressed by a
monstrous wall
of boulders accessible only by helicopter .
a decade earlier i’d driven to cape melville and stood on the beach looking up at a wall of jumbled boulders , wondering what was at the top . i climbed a fair way , but was knocked back by the heat and the scale of the rocks . i needed a chopper .
the reason cape melville species look so different from relatives in rainforests to the south or north can be attributed to the rock , too . there are some consistently distinctive features among the cape melville endemics that are likely to be adaptations to this environment , particularly with respect to movement across and between rocks . the lizards have relatively long limbs and flat bodies , and the frogs are large and have huge hands and finger - pads . even the unusually large eyes of the leaf - tailed gecko and boulder - frog could be the result of living in the dimly lit crevices .
hoskin said the highlight of the expedition was the cape melville leaf - tailed gecko , a
primitive - looking
lizard that is considered a relic from the days when the rainforest was more widespread in australia . it can grow up to 20 centimeters ( almost 8 inches ) long .
this was an exciting start , but only the beginning of what was to be an incredible day of discovery . shortly afterwards , i caught a large lizard in thick leaf - litter at the base of some boulders and a small , fast skink , which was active on the leaf - litter .
these 2013 surveys of cape melville revealed five new vertebrate species , a number of range extensions , and some invertebrate and plant species that have yet to be resolved . in terms of vertebrates , the endemic species count went from three to eight , the highest known for any mountain in australia .
three & quot ; dramatic new species & quot ; have been discovered in a remote cape york rainforest located on top of large boulder fields .
the three newly discovered species are new to science and include a leaf - tail gecko , a golden - coloured skink and a boulder - dwelling frog . they and the other rainforest - associated inhabitants have been completely isolated for million of years . as they were so isolated , they evolved into distinct species in the unique environment .
the joint expedition between the university and national geographic in march led james cook ' s conrad hoskin and harvard university researcher tim laman , a national geographic photographer , to the rugged range in northeast australia ' s cape melville , where millions of black granite boulders as big as houses and cars are piled hundreds of meters high .
the
primitive - looking
cape melville leaf - tailed gecko ( saltuarius eximius ) measures 20cm and is believed to be a relic from a time when rainforest was more widespread in australia . the species name translates as
exceptional
,
extraordinary
or
exquisite
, in reference to its unusual form and distinctiveness .
scientists have previously surveyed the base of the cape mountains , but the hot , dry , boulder - strewn rainforest on the plateau atop them is largely unexplored .
the cape melville leaf - tailed gecko is the strangest new species to come across my desk in 26 years working as a professional herpetologist . i doubt that another new reptile of this size and distinctiveness will be found in a hurry , if ever again , in australia ,
said patrick couper , curator of reptiles and frogs at queensland museum .
the deeply layered rock of the boulder fields would have retained cool , moist conditions through even the toughest times . and they would have kept out fire . therefore , the massive pile of rocks at cape melville acted as ‘lithorefugia’ – cool , moist refuges where rainforest - associated lineages could persist through time . these isolated lineages have split into numerous species over millions of years .
patrick couper , curator of reptiles and frogs at the queensland museum , and collaborator on the gecko ' s description , said :
the cape melville leaf - tailed gecko is the strangest new species to come across my desk in 26 years working as a professional herpetologist . i doubt that another new reptile of this size and distinctiveness will be found in a hurry , if ever again , in australia .
it’s my hope that cape melville’s remoteness and ruggedness , along with the management of invasive species , will protect it into the future . in collaboration with the traditional owners of this land , i plan to return here in late 2016 to discover more about the exceptional species that have persisted and evolved over millions of years – so far it’s been a thrilling adventure , and hopefully one that is not over yet .
directly ahead was a dark mountain of boulders and rainforest rising up from the plains . we’d flown two hours from cairns – one over the lush rainforest of the wet tropics to cooktown and the other over woodlands and sandstone escarpments as we followed the coast north . looming in front of us was our destination , cape melville – an isolated range barely visited by biologists . we approached in the helicopter to explore the uplands , which had long been a goal of mine .
a new species of gecko leaf - tailed , and bolder dwelling frog isolated in an australian mountain , cape york peninsula , are highly camouflaged . none of these had been seen before 2012 , but have been around since millions of years .
finding three new , obviously distinct vertebrates would be surprising enough in somewhere poorly explored like new guinea , let alone in australia , a country we think we ' ve explored pretty well ,
said dr conrad hoskin of james cook university , who led the expedition together with dr tim laman from harvard university .
the top of cape melville is a lost world . finding these new species up there is the discovery of a lifetime – i ' m still amazed and buzzing from it .
despite its incredible geology , the range remained largely unheard of until 1978 when a local aboriginal man named wodyeti told botanists about an unusual palm . the plant was described as the foxtail palm ( wodyetia bifurcata ) , found only on the boulder fields of cape melville , and it caused a stir due to its beauty and the subsequent smuggling of seeds for the nursery trade . the foxtail is now a fixture along esplanades from cairns to florida , and has an artificial distribution many times larger than its natural range .
this frog is completely restricted to the boulder - fields of cape melville , and its species name means ‘rock - loving’ . the frog lives within the boulder - field during the dry season , as the conditions are cool and moist . in summer during the wet season , the frog comes out onto the surface rocks to feed and to breed in the rain . the frog’s eggs are laid within cracks in the moist rocks and while the tadpoles are developing within , the male frog watches over them until froglets hatch out .
many years later , that wish was fulfilled , but thick cloud stopped us landing in the uplands and instead we explored boulder fields in the lowlands . on the last morning of that trip i was woken at dawn by a brief shower . as the rain eased and the water flowed through the rocks deep into the mountain , i became aware of a strange rattling call . i quickly got up and climbed down among the boulders . after squeezing through crevices , i found a distinctive new species of microhylid frog . shortly afterwards we departed , having had but a tantalising glimpse into cape melville’s secrets .
dr conrad hoskin is a biologist at james cook university in townsville , qld . his research covers evolution , ecology , conservation and species discovery . some of his studies have focused on diversity in cape york , and hybridisation in frogs of the wet tropics rainforests of north - eastern australia .
after setting up camp we began exploring . we only had a few days and there was plenty of ground to cover . that afternoon and evening we found interesting species but nothing unexpected . i started to wonder if cape melville was too small and too harsh for rainforest creatures to have survived here for hundreds of thousands , if not millions , of years of isolation . after all , the plateau measures just 6 x 3km , and rainforest - dependent creatures that can’t cross gaps in vegetation would have needed rainforest here that entire time . i began to think that perhaps the three known endemics and the new frog was the sum of unique vertebrates , a number of unique species on par with any other mountain in queensland .
within days the team had discovered three highly distinct new vertebrate species – believed to have been isolated for millions of years – as well as a host of other species that may also be new to science .
the second i saw the gecko i knew it was a new species . everything about it was obviously distinct ,
said hoskin .
this gecko hides in the boulders in the day and emerges at night to hunt on rocks and trees . highly camouflaged , its huge eyes and incredibly long and slender body and limbs are thought to be adaptations to life in the dimly lit boulder fields .
also discovered was the
fascinating
blotched boulder - frog ( cophixalus petrophilus ) . its species name means
rock - loving
as it lives deep in the labyrinth of the boulder field where conditions are dark , cool and moist during the dry season . in the summer wet season , the frog emerges on the surface rocks to feed and breed in the rain .
the frog has adapted to living in a boulder field with no water by laying eggs in moist rock cracks .
the tadpoles develop within the eggs , guarded by the male , until fully formed froglets hatch out ,
explained hoskin .
the three new species have been named by hoskin and described in the journal zootaxa .
© 2018 guardian news and media limited or its affiliated companies . all rights reserved .
exploration of a
lost world
on a remote australian peninsula has yielded the discovery of three new species , including a leaf - tailed gecko with spindly legs and unusually big eyes .
that ' s because satellite imagery has shown that an isolated rain forest flourishes on top of those rugged peaks , which have been cut off for millennia and that could very well harbor new , unique species that live nowhere else . ( also see
pictures : surprising creatures found deep off australia .
)
the team set out to study the rain forest and its inhabitants , which have been largely overlooked by science : the roughly 9 - mile - long ( 15 - kilometer - long ) range is almost impassable , surrounded by a fortress of car - and house - size chunks of granite that have eroded in place after being thrust up through the earth millions of years ago .
so , with no hope of climbing through this
mother of all boulder fields ,
the team—including hoskin , laman , and a national geographic film crew—came up with another plan : landing a helicopter on top of the mountain .
on a first attempt , the helicopter dropped the team off near the rain forest on a huge , flat boulder that they ' d located using google earth . trying to climb down , the team soon discovered that the boulder was far taller than expected , leaving them stranded on top of the huge rock , said laman .
fortunately , we told the helicopter not to go home yet , but to come back and check on us in an hour ,
he said .
when help arrived , the team found a better spot to unload their gear and explore the mountain .
after a day of observing the skinks , the team climbed out of the rain forest onto the exposed boulder fields and found another surprise : the blotched boulder frog , cophixalus petrophilus , described this week in a separate study in the journal zootaxa . ( see more rain forest pictures . )
this brown - spotted , yellow amphibian has a clever adaptation for life among the big rocks : during the dry season , it stays in shaded areas deep at the base of the boulders , where conditions are cool and moist , and during the wet summer - the time when the team visited—it emerges on rocks to feed and breed .
the newfound frog is also well adapted to life in the boulder fields : for one , it has large eyes , likely so it can better pick up light among the dim rocks .
female frogs also lay their eggs in wet cracks in the rock , where the male guards the developing eggs .
what ' s odd , though , is that in the absence of water , the tadpole develops within the egg and a fully formed frog hatches out . ( see pictures of another frog with unusual reproductive habits : one that gives birth through its mouth . )
as the team hiked back through the rain forest at night , glowing from the day ' s finds , hoskin suddenly spotted the reflection of two eyes on a tree .
i ran up through the rocks and this beautiful , strange - looking gecko was sitting on the tree looking at me . i was utterly blown away by the gecko and remember holding it in disbelief .
then i carried it down to show the others and we were all buzzing in excitement . it was immediately obvious to everyone that it was something very cool .
leaf - tailed geckos , generally about 8 inches ( 20 centimeters ) long , are particularly interesting to science because its members are primitive species that are relics from an earlier time . ( see a picture of a satanic leaf - tailed gecko . )
that ' s because it ' s much different from its relatives in other tropical regions of the world , namely because of its long legs—likely used to scramble around rocks—and large eyes , which helps it see in the gloomy habitat .
in the animal world , long legs do seem to be adaptations to climbing around on boulders , and these fantastic newly described species are great demonstrations of this ,
jodi rowley , an amphibian biologist at the australian museum research institute and a national geographic explorer who wasn ' t involved in the new studies , noted by email .
rowley also agreed with the expedition team that the frog and gecko ' s huge eyes may help them see when crawling around deep within the boulders ' dark crevices .
laman , who photographed the docile reptiles , noted that the geckos are so camouflaged that you can put one on a rock and it won ' t move .
if you have images for this taxon that you would like to share with atlas of living australia , please upload using the upload tools .
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 081ef73d - 6c4b - 4139 - 8a53 - 444ceb3c83db
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 38b4bace - a883 - 4a83 - af70 - c9426db088ed
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : c403c8a0 - de58 - 4672 - b565 - b2505a372452
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : eadea357 - 517f - 4f2e - ac97 - 2bd36720ac2c
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : db544cbf - 12d5 - 424e - afa2 - 366348e2c72b
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . name : 603237
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it looked like a lost world and i was eager to find out what secrets it held .
a couple of months passed before i had the opportunity to return , this time with dr tim laman , a us photographer and ornithologist . as we approached , it became clear that conditions were ideal and i’d finally be able to explore the uplands . flying over the boulder fields , we could see the top of the range was roughly a plateau , with more upland area and rainforest than expected . there were areas of well - developed forest that seemed to be growing on earth not boulders ; i was very excited .
landing on a giant rock , we swiftly unloaded under the motion and noise of the spinning rotor . as the sound of the departing chopper faded , we stood in the quiet and surveyed the incredible scene . an expanse of forest lay ahead , with hoop pines and black boulders , and wisps of cloud sticking to the highest ridges . it looked like a lost world and i was eager to find out what secrets it held .
giant boulders dwarf nancy donnelly and mark lamble , who came along to film a documentary . a helicopter was essential for getting to the uplands . once there , travel was by foot through the boulder fields – no easy task . ( image : tim laman )
by evening we stepped out of the rainforest and onto the boulder fields . the view was magnificent . behind us were rocky peaks and misty rainforest , and in front of us immense slopes of boulders sweeping down to the ocean . we climbed down into them to search for the new frog i’d found on the previous trip . the rocks were incredibly rough , removing skin with the merest brush against them . and the gaps were treacherous – we regularly found ourselves stepping across chasms that disappeared into the black depths . a wrong move would be serious .
before too long it was evident that frogs were common here . we found some emerging from deep in the boulders to forage for invertebrates on the surface rocks . i subsequently named this species the blotched boulder - frog ( cophixalus petrophilus , with petrophilus meaning ‘rock - loving’ ) . the species survives the long dry season deep in the boulders where it is cool and moist , and emerges in the wet season to feed and breed near the surface . they are also ‘terrestrial breeders’ – eggs are laid in moist rocks and the clutch is guarded by the male . the tadpoles develop entirely within the eggs , and after a month or so little frogs hatch out and disappear into the depths of the boulder field .
working our way off the boulders and back into the rainforest , we headed up a gully . looking ahead i saw red eye - shine coming from a tree growing among boulders . we’d seen plenty of cooktown ring - tailed geckos ( impressive lizards large enough to eat frogs and other geckos ) , but the way this one appeared to be sitting , head - down and motionless , suggested something much more exciting . i scampered up the boulders and there before me was a creature with long spindly legs , huge eyes and an elaborately frilled tail – a new leaf - tailed gecko !
why are there so many endemic species ? and why are they so unusual ? the answer to both those questions involves the rock .
some invasive species have found their way to the top . pigs are the most conspicuous example and efforts continue by the park managers to reduce these impacts . introduced diseases are also a potential threat ; on the survey trips we were always very careful that all our clothing and gear was clean and sterilised .
this article was originally published in the may - june 2016 issue of australian geographic ( ag # 132 ) .
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- wells & wellington ( 1984 ) . a synopsis of the class reptilia in australia . australian journal of herpetology , 1 ( 3 - 4 ) : 73 - 129 .
, in reference to their use of decaying leaf - litter as a microhabitat .
; from the latin for leaping . in recognition of the agility of this species across boulders . the species epithet is treated as a noun in apposition .
dorsal colour gold , with scattered black flecks ; top of head golden brown with black flecks and mottling . flanks brown to dark brown ( typically darker on upper flank ) with regular golden , yellowish or pale spots . prominent yellow spot on posterior base of hindlimb , and smaller , less prominent yellow dot on upper base of forelimb .
upland boulder habitat associated with rainforest . individuals have been found on mossy boulders under a rainforest canopy and in an exposed boulder - field immediately adjacent to rainforest ; all active during the day on boulders .
they moved rapidly across the rocks and leapt between boulders when pursued .
note : these are general threats and may not apply to this particular species .
there are many ways you can help our reptiles . here are my top three suggestions :
wells , richard w . & wellington , c . ross ( 1984 ) . a synopsis of the class reptilia in australia . australian journal of herpetology , 1 ( 3 - 4 ) : 73 - 129 . - search web for this article
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notes and disclaimer this information may not be complete . while all care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in this page , primary sources should always be consulted for definitive information . animals have an endearing habit of disobeying the rules , so the information on this page should be interpreted with a degree of flexibility . the author and site operator accepts no responsibility for any losses or damages incurred through using this web site or the information contained herein . don ' t get bitten by anything ! this page may be cited as : saproscincus saltus at the australian reptile online database . last updated 2017 - 06 - 13 12 : 17 : 21 . retrieved from urltoken on the 10th of july , 2018 . before citing information contained in arod , please read our citing arod page . copyright notice this page , its content and layout are copyright © 2007 - 2018 stewart macdonald / ug media , unless otherwise stated . all photographs in the australian reptile online database are © the photographer and may not be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the photographer . no part of the australian reptile online database may be reproduced without written permission from stewart macdonald .
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scientists have found what they ' re describing as a
lost world
on the northern tip of queensland , australia , hosting at least three previously undocumented species , including a frog that makes love in the rain .
a helicopter took hoskin , laman and a national geographic film crew to the uplands .
conrad hoskin , from james cook university , holds the gecko shortly after finding it . hoskin teamed up on the expedition with tim laman , a national geographic photographer and harvard university researcher .
the second i saw the gecko i knew it was a new species . everything about it was obviously distinct ,
hoskin said .
this frog lives most of its life deep in the boulder fields where it is dark , cool and moist , and only comes to the surface when it rains .
hoskin said .
finding three new , obviously distinct vertebrates would be surprising enough in somewhere poorly explored like new guinea , let alone in australia , a country we think we ' ve explored pretty well ,
hoskin said in a statement from the university .
the scientists found a
host of other interesting species
that may also be new to science , but the three vertebrates , which are described as highly distinct , will be documented in this month ' s issue of zootaxa , a peer - reviewed journal for animal taxonomists .
the gecko is a night hunter and hides in the boulders during the day . at night , the highly camouflaged critter sits motionless , head down , awaiting passing insects and spiders on rocks and in trees . its big eyes and long , slender body and limbs are likely
adaptations to life in the dimly lit boulder fields ,
the release said .
hoskin , who said he knew it was a new species as soon as he saw it , named it saltuarius eximius , meaning exceptional or exquisite , in reference to its distinct appearance .
it has been dubbed saproscincus saltus . saltus means leaping , according to the university ' s news release .
during the dry season the frog lives deep down in the labyrinth of the boulder field where conditions are cool and moist . in the summer wet season the frog emerges on the surface rocks to feed and breed in the rain ,
the news release says , adding that the frog only comes to the surface when it ' s raining .
there are no nearby bodies of water , so the frog reproduces by laying its eggs in the moist rock cracks . the tadpoles develop within the eggs , which the male frog guards until the froglets hatch .
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this is a truly wild place , so hard to get to , on an amazing misty plateau of rainforest on top of large black boulder fields ,
dr hoskin told the australian .
it & apos ; s protected by the boulder fields , which keep fire out and moisture in , which is quite conducive to hanging on to some really interesting rainforest creatures through time .
finding three new , obviously distinct vertebrates would be surprising enough in somewhere poorly explored like new guinea , let alone in australia , a country we think we & apos ; ve explored pretty well ,
he said .
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the three new species have been named , and the descriptions appear in zootaxa . the leaf - tailed gecko was a highlight for the authors .
the gecko are large at around 20cm long , and are ‘primitive - looking’ gondwanan relics from a time millions of years ago when rainforest was more widespread in australia . this leaf - tailed gecko has been named saltuarius eximius , a name that translates as ‘exceptional’ , ‘extraordinary’ or ‘exquisite’ .
the gecko hides in the boulders during the day and comes out at night to hunt its prey on rocks and trees . the gecko is highly camouflaged and sit motionless and with their head down , waiting to ambush unsuspecting insects and spiders . the gecko has huge eyes , and also a very long and slender body and limbs , all are likely adaptations from living in the dimly lit boulder fields .
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