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Amphibians and reptiles recorded in Tengchong Section of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, 2014-2018. For site details refer to Table 1.
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We present the results from a series of herpetological surveys conducted in the Tengchong Section of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Yunnan Province, China between April 2014 and November 2018. A total of 59 species of amphibians and reptiles (one salamander, 30 batrachians, four lizards, and 24 snakes) were recorded during the surveys inclu...
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... further 17 species have not been previously reported in TC-GLGS (Xue 1995;Yang & Rao 2008), and 10 genera were new records for the area. A species checklist of herpetofauna based on our survey is provided in Table 2. Voucher photographs were taken for all species recorded, a selection of species are illustrated below (Images 1-7). ...Context 2
... further 17 species have not been previously reported in TC-GLGS (Xue 1995;Yang & Rao 2008), and 10 genera were new records for the area. A species checklist of herpetofauna based on our survey is provided in Table 2. Voucher photographs were taken for all species recorded, a selection of species are illustrated below (Images 1-7). ...Similar publications
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Habitat alteration can lead to a few ‘winning’ species outcompeting many ‘losing’ species, an effect commonly termed as ‘Winner-Loser-Replacements’ or WLRs. This can lead to homogenisation of species assemblages at phylogenetic and functional levels. Most previous studies analyse responses of species abundance without considering natural history tr...
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Citations
... Previous research has shown that the Hengduan Mountains, which include the GLGM, harbor a rich diversity of herpetofauna (Wu, 1992;Yang et al., 1978;Yang & Rao, 2008;Zhang et al., 2022;Zhao & Yang, 1997). However, all focal studies on the herpetofauna diversity of the GLGM are sporadic and limited geographically to a specific section of the whole GLGM (Bai et al., 2007;Southwest Forestry College et al., 1995;Wen et al., 2021;Wu, 1992;Yang & Du, 2006;Yang et al., 2019;Yunnan Forestry Department, 1998;Zhang et al., 2022). Based on the single, most comprehensive study at the time (Southwest Forestry College et al., 1995), which only included the southcentral section of the GLGM regions from Pianma to Bawan (N24º56' -26º09'), there were 48 species of reptiles and 28 species of amphibians in the region. ...
... B. gargarizans is a East Asian toad that lives in sympatry with amphibian-eating cobra species [83]. L. ailaonicum, on the other hand, inhabits montane environments within a small range in the Yunnan region of China and, therefore, may be subject to predation from snakes of the elapid genera Bungarus or Sinomicrurus [84][85][86]. Pleurodeles waltl is a newt species known for its ability to envenomate predators by protruding its sharp ribs through its own skin glands. No elapids occur in its distribution range (the Iberian Peninsula and a small region in coastal Morocco); however, closely related Pleurodeles species occur in North Africa, possibly in sympatry with the Egyptian cobra Naja haje. ...
Predatory innovations impose reciprocal selection pressures upon prey. The evolution of snake venom alpha-neurotoxins has triggered the corresponding evolution of resistance in the post-synaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of prey in a complex chemical arms race. All other things being equal, animals like caecilians (an Order of legless amphibians) are quite vulnerable to predation by fossorial elapid snakes and their powerful alpha-neurotoxic venoms; thus, they are under strong selective pressure. Here, we sequenced the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha-1 subunit of 37 caecilian species, representing all currently known families of caecilians from across the Americas, Africa, and Asia, including species endemic to the Seychelles. Three types of resistance were identified: (1) steric hindrance from N-glycosylated asparagines; (2) secondary structural changes due to the replacement of proline by another amino acid; and (3) electrostatic charge repulsion of the positively charged neurotoxins, through the introduction of a positively charged amino acid into the toxin-binding site. We demonstrated that resistance to alpha-neurotoxins convergently evolved at least fifteen times across the caecilian tree (three times in Africa, seven times in the Americas, and five times in Asia). Additionally, as several species were shown to possess multiple resistance modifications acting synergistically, caecilians must have undergone at least 20 separate events involving the origin of toxin resistance. On the other hand, resistance in non-caecilian amphibians was found to be limited to five origins. Together, the mutations underlying resistance in caecilians constitute a robust signature of positive selection which strongly correlates with elapid presence through both space (sympatry with caecilian-eating elapids) and time (Cenozoic radiation of elapids). Our study demonstrates the extent of convergent evolution that can be expected when a single widespread predatory adaptation triggers parallel evolutionary arms races at a global scale.
... Its vegetation types range from mixed coniferous-broadleaf forest in the north to subtropical forest in the south (Li & Li, 2020;Liu et al., 2021). The region's rugged topography has generated high species richness in plants (Xing & Ree, 2017), vertebrates (Dumbacher et al., 2011;Yang et al., 2019), and arthropods (Liu et al., 2020;Yi et al., 2021). At 28,000 km 2 (7% of the area of Yunnan), Gaoligongshan contains at least 57.5% of birds, 61% of mammals, and 23% of ant species ever reported in Yunnan. ...
To help address the underrepresentation of arthropods and Asian biodiversity from climate‐change assessments, we carried out year‐long, weekly sampling campaigns with Malaise traps at different elevations and latitudes in Gaoligongshan National Park in southwestern China. From these 623 samples, we barcoded 10,524 beetles and compared scenarios of climate‐change‐induced biodiversity loss, by designating seasonal, elevational, and latitudinal subsets of beetles as communities that plausibly could go extinct as a group, which we call “loss sets”. The availability of a published mitochondrial‐genome‐based phylogeny of the Coleoptera allowed us to compare the loss of species diversity with and without accounting for phylogenetic relatedness. We hypothesised that phylogenetic relatedness would mitigate extinction, since the extinction of any loss set would result in the disappearance of all its species but only part of its evolutionary history, which is still extant in the remaining loss sets. We found different patterns of community clustering by season and latitude, depending on whether phylogenetic information was incorporated. However, accounting for phylogeny only slightly mitigated the amount of biodiversity loss under climate change scenarios, against our expectations: there is no phylogenetic “escape clause” for biodiversity conservation. We achieve the same results whether phylogenetic information was derived from the mitogenome phylogeny or from a de novo barcode‐gene tree. We encourage interested researchers to use this data set to study lineage‐specific community assembly patterns in conjunction with life‐history traits and environmental covariates.
... According to Yang et al. (2019), three Leptobrachella species occur on Mount Gaoligongshan, namely L. tengchongensis, L. ventripunctata and an unknown Leptobrachella sp.. Acoustic characteristics and breeding behaviors appear to different among the species. The peak frequency is 4.2-4.8 ...
... Furthermore, while L. tengchongensis breeds in April and May and inhabits in 2000-2100 m elevations, calling males of L. ventripunctata can be heard from April to June and only recorded at relatively lower elevation at 1,350 m on Mount Gaoligongshan; while Leptobrachella sp. only breeds in March when night time air temperature was ca. 3 ℃ and inhabits in 1 950-2 100 m elevations(Yang et al. 2019; J. Yang and H.Y. Yeung, unpublished data).A summary of the major acoustic characters of the advertisement calls of Leptobrachella species occurring north of the Isthmus of Kra for which comparable acoustic data are available is presented in the ...
We present the first description of the acoustic characters of the endangered Tengchong leaf litter toad (Leptobrachella tengchongensis), aiming to inform future ecological studies of the species and taxonomic studies in the genus Leptobrachella. A total of 1179 calls, belonging to 6 adults male individuals, were recorded using TASCAM DR-40 digital sound recorder from its type locality in May 2015 and then analyzed using Raven Pro v.1.6.1 software. The advertisement call of male L. tengchongensis consists of primary advertisement call and secondary advertisement call. The primary advertisement call is invariably composed of two notes and has a call duration of 61 ± 5 ms (23–87 ms, n = 1142). The secondary advertisement call is composed of 3–10 notes (mean 5.25 ± 1.41 notes/call, n = 37) with a call duration of 90 ± 6 ms (37–127 ms, n = 37). The mean inter-call interval is 212 ± 121 ms (88–1121 ms, n = 1092). An introductory note is absent in advertisement calls and the dominant of calls is 4.1–4.8 kHz (at 20 ℃). We discuss the interspecific and intraspecific variations on advertisement calls in L. tengchongensis and among Leptobrachella species, and provide a summary on the major acoustic characters of all Leptobrachella species occurring north of the Isthmus of Kra.
... However, our specimen showed some differences from the original description of P. vindumi in a number of key morphological characters and was therefore tentatively listed as an unknown species in our TAPROBANICA VOL. 10: NO. 01 recent herpetofauna checklist of TC-GLGS (Yang et al. 2019). ...
... The female KFBG 14360 was found on the ground at the forest edge during a night survey at 20:00 h on 20 May 2015. Data on other sympatric herpetofauna in TC-GLGS can be referred to Yang et al. (2019). The gravid KFBG 14360 contained eight eggs in its abdomen. ...
... Unlike most congeners in southern China and Southeast Asia, P. vindumi seems to be more elusive and relatively uncommon, as it is so far only known from two specimens. Within TC-GLGS, we have conducted 57 field days between 2014 and 2018 covering different seasons, but only a single specimen of the species has been found, making it one of the most rarely seen snake species during our four years of surveys (Yang et al. 2019). In view of the uncertainty of its extent of occurrence, elusive habits, and little information on its ecology and threats, we propose P. vindumi to be listed as Data Deficient, following the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN 2012). ...
We report the first record of the poorly known slug-eating snake, Pareas vindumi from China: a female specimen collected from Dazhuba ranger station, Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Tengchong city, Yunnan Province. The newly collected specimen represents only the second known specimen of the species and provides the first and valuable data on its morphological variation. Based on the new specimen, we revise the diagnostic characteristics of the species and provide additional data on its natural history and conservation status.
... In 2014, we launched a four-year systematic faunal survey in TC-GLGS and its immediate environs, focused on vertebrates and butterflies on which we have expertise. Detailed survey methodology and results of the studied taxon groups are provided in various articles of this monograph (Li et al. 2019;Lo & Bi 2019;Yang et al. 2019;Zheng et al. 2019). The present paper aims to provide background information on the geography, climate, vegetation, and ecology of Tengchong, as well as a brief summary of earlier and current biodiversity explorations in the area. ...
... In 2014, we launched a four-year systematic faunal survey in TC-GLGS and its immediate environs, focused on vertebrates and butterflies on which we have expertise. Detailed survey methodology and results of the studied taxon groups are provided in various articles of this monograph (Li et al. 2019;Lo & Bi 2019;Yang et al. 2019;Zheng et al. 2019). The present paper aims to provide background information on the geography, climate, vegetation, and ecology of Tengchong, as well as a brief summary of earlier and current biodiversity explorations in the area. ...
The Gaoligongshan Mountains in Yunnan Province, southwestern China, is one of the biologically richest areas on Earth. In 2014, we launched a four-year biodiversity survey in the Tengchong Section of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve and its immediate vicinity, aiming to update the current diversity, distribution, and status of the mammals, birds, herpetofauna, freshwater fishes, and butterflies on which we have expertise. Despite the intensity of earlier scientific explorations, our survey resulted in the discoveries of a new genus, a number of new species, genera and species new to China, Gaoligongshan, or Tengchong County, and updated the altitude limits for some species. Species richness of mammalian and avian fauna, the two groups most susceptible to habitat loss and hunting, remains remarkably high, but past impacts of hunting and habitat degradation were in evidence. Our results clearly illustrate the immense conservation value of this mountain range and the necessity for more in-depth, focused biodiversity field surveys. This monograph summarizes our findings, and this chapter gives an overview of the geography, climate, vegetation, and ecology of Tengchong, a history of earlier and present biodiversity explorations, and conservation recommendations based on our findings.
The torrent frogs of the genus Amolops represent a great anuran diversification in southern China and Southeast Asia. Previous studies have shown that, the diversity of this genus still remains underestimated. During herpetological surveys from 2021 to 2022, several Amolops specimens were collected from the international border regions of southwestern Yunnan Province, China. Herein, we utilized molecular phylogenetic and morphological data to identify these specimens. Our findings indicate the presence of a separate and previously unknown lineage in the A. viridimaculatus group, which we formally describe as a new species. Furthermore, the specimen from Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve clustered with A. vitreus from the paratype, supporting the morphological diagnosis. Therefore, we describe a new species and a new species record for China. Our study contributes to the species richness of the genus Amolops as well as the diversity of amphibians in China. Notably, our discovery brings the total number of Amolops species to 85 and the total number of torrent frog species known to occur in China to 53. In addition, our study further confirmed that Yunnan and Indochina Peninsula have similar faunal composition, implying that more studies are needed to achieve a complete understanding of the species diversity and distribution pattern.
650223；② 中国科学院大学昆明生命科学学院 昆明 650204；③ 河南大学生命科学学院 开封 475001； ④ 保山学院资源环境学院 保山 678000；⑤ 高黎贡山国家级自然保护区贡山管护分局 贡山 673500； ⑥ 高黎贡山国家级自然保护区福贡管护分局 福贡 673400 摘要：2021 年 4 和 5 月及 7 和 8 月在云南省高黎贡山开展两栖爬行动物调查过程中，采集到无尾目 (Anura) 蛙科 (Ranidae) 湍蛙属 (Amolops) 标本 8 号， 通过形态学与分子系统学鉴定为僜湍蛙 (A. deng) 和察隅湍蛙(A. chayuensis) ， 为云南省两栖动物分布新记录种。僜湍蛙雌性体长 63.1 ~ 68.5 mm(n = 3) ， 雄性体长 49.3 ~ 52.9 mm(n = 3) ，头长大于头宽，鼓膜明显且纵径大于横径，掌突三个，颞褶不显， 背侧褶直达胯部，后肢前伸贴体时胫跗关节超过吻端，形态特征与模式标本基本一致；察隅湍蛙雄性 体长 44.7 mm 和 44.8 mm(n = 2) ，具咽侧下外声囊，颞褶及背侧褶明显，前后肢均具褐色条纹，形态 特征与模式标本基本一致。基于线粒体 16S rRNA 基因和 COI 基因片段进行系统发育分析表明，僜湍 蛙和察隅湍蛙均和其模式产地西藏的序列聚成单系支。此外，基于 16S rRNA 计算本次采集的标本与模 式产地西藏的序列间遗传距离均较小，僜湍蛙是 0.8% ~ 1.2%，察隅湍蛙是 0.2%。综上，确定云南高黎 贡山采集到的两种湍蛙分别是僜湍蛙和察隅湍蛙。此前记录僜湍蛙仅分布于西藏察隅县和墨脱县，察 隅湍蛙仅分布于西藏察隅县和八宿县，僜湍蛙在云南省福贡县和贡山县及察隅湍蛙在云南省贡山县的 分布为首次记录；本研究进一步更新了察隅湍蛙分布的海拔范围，较此前记录(2 000 ~ 2 400 m) ，海 拔低点扩展至 1 385 m，高点扩展至 2 884 m，这提示其有更广阔的生态位。 关键词：云南省；高黎贡山；湍蛙属；新记录种 中图分类号：Q958 文献标识码：A
This article talks about the Amolops species in Bhutan and also describes new to science species from Bhutan.
