DOI: 10.5061/dryad.18931zd46
title: Additional morphometrical and ecological data collected during the 2018 expedition of the UMMZ in Nicaragua

description: Nicaragua is a biodiverse country, but documented herpetological specimens
 are underrepresented when compared to other neighboring countries. In 2018
 we conducted a collaborative expedition between the University of Michigan
 Museum of Zoology and Nicaraguan biologists. We visited three collection
 sites in the Pacific lowlands, Caribbean lowlands, and the Central
 Highlands, representing three major biogeographic regions. We collected
 specimens of 100 species from a total of 106 encountered. We provide
 accession numbers, morphological, genetic, and ecological information for
 these specimens. We recorded 23 new departmental and the first country
 record of Metlapilcoatlus indomitus (Smith & Ferrari-Castro,
 2008), helping filling gaps in the known distribution of the species
 within Nicaragua and the Central American region. When available, we
 provide species range maps and comparative genetic tree including
 conspecific reference sequences from the region.
description: In the field, we collected a set of morphological, ecological,
 and behavioral metadata associated with each specimen. Specifically, we
 collected basic morphometric data (snout-vent length, mass, and tail
 length where applicable), GPS coordinates of the capture location (WGS84),
 and standardized ecological and behavioral observations made at the
 specimens’ point of capture when possible. We include all additional
 morphometrical data as supplemental material. Our ecological data include
 macrohabitat type (such as upland forest or riparian habitat), the
 substrate on which the animal was resting at the time of encounter (such
 as ground, leaf, trunk, or branch), perch height and diameter, and a
 description of the behavior of the animal at the time of encounter. We
 included this information in the remarks section of the species
 accounts.
description: # Additional morphometrical and ecological data collected during the 2018
 expedition of the UMMZ in Nicaragua
 The data here was product
 of an expedition conducted under research permits by the national
 authority Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARENA) No.
 DGPNB-IC-025-2018. Sample and specimen exports No. DGPNB-IC-019-2018,
 DGPNB-IC-029-2018, DGPNB-IC-002-2019. We did not collect species listed by
 the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in
 Nicaragua, but we list the species encountered and provide photographs of
 uncollected individuals in the main manuscript. In the field, we collected
 a set of morphological, ecological, and behavioral metadata associated
 with each specimen. Specifically, we collected basic morphometric data
 (snout-vent length, mass, and tail length where applicable), GPS
 coordinates of the capture location (WGS84), and standardized ecological
 and behavioral observations made at the specimens’ point of capture when
 possible. We include all additional morphometrical data as supplemental
 material. Our ecological data include macrohabitat type (such as upland
 forest or riparian habitat), the substrate on which the animal was resting
 at the time of encounter (such as ground, leaf, trunk, or branch), perch
 height and diameter, and a description of the behavior of the animal at
 the time of encounter. Additional information is included in the the
 species accounts for each species in the main manuscript. ## Description
 of the data and file structure The dataset is arranged in a table with the
 following fields: | Data Fields  | Definition  | | :------------------ |
 :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | UMMZ Number | Accession number for the specimen at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology  | | Field\_number | Temporary field tag number assigned during field collection  | | GenBank 16 Sequence | 16S rRNA barcode gene from our specimens on GenBank | | Date | Date of collection | | Time | Time of collection in 2400h format | | Taxon | Species name assigned using morphological and genetic information, see main manuscript for detailed description of the specimens | | Locality | Site of collection name | | SVL (mm) | Snout–vent length; measured from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent) | | Tail (mm) | Length from vent to tip of tail, if tail was incomplete it is noted in the Notes section | | Mass (g) | Mass of the animal measured at the time of collection in the field  | | Ventral Scale Count | Only for snakes, number of ventral scales from chin to vent | | Sex | Female, Male, Undertermined  | | Age | Adult, Juvenile, Undertermined  | | Latitude | Latitute coordinates in decimal degrees using datum WGS84 | | Longitute | Longitude coordinates in decimal degrees using datum WGS84 | | Macro habitat | Terra Firme (upland); Riparian | | Activity | Activity of individual at time of collection (e.g., In motion, at rest) | | Substrate | Substrate of individual at time of collection (e.g., leaf litter, bare soil) | | Stratum | Stratum of individual at time of collection (e.g., ground layer, understory, canopy) | | Perch height (cm) | Perch height (cm) of individual at time of collection in centimeters from ground level | | Perch diameter (cm) | Diameter of the perch (when applicable) of individual at time of collection in centimeters  | | Light environment | Light environment where individual was found at time of collection (e.g., direct sun, partial shade, shade) | | Land Aspect | Land Aspect of microsite where the individual was found at time of collection (e.g., flat, backslope, shoulder) | | Notes | Additional notes on behavior or comments from the field  | ## Sharing/Access information Additional details and data from the collected individuals and the expedition are found in the main manuscript.