Aurelio Ramírez-Bautista

• Dr.
• Professor (Full) at Autonomous University of Hidalgo State

Previous studies have shown that diet varies among seasons and age classes of lizard species inhabiting contrasting environments. The purpose of our study was to compare feeding habits between seasons (wet and dry), sexes (males and females), and age classes (juvenile and adult) of the arboreal lizard Anolis nebulosus from two different environment...

In this study, based on a morphological analysis, the resurrection of the name Anolis ustus Cope 1864, is proposed for populations from the Yucatán Peninsula (Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo, Mexico, and Belize), formerly referred as A. sericeus Hallowell, 1856. Anolis ustus differs from A. sericeus by its mean snout-vent length and number of g...

Very little information is documented about variation in sexual size dimorphism between years within populations of a single species, and studies covering related topics are very scarce. We present information on sexual size dimorphism and reproductive traits obtained during the years 1980–1983, in a population of the lizard Sceloporus aeneus from...

Determination of growth rate provides an important component of an organism’s life history, making estimations of size at maturity, survival rate, and longevity possible. Here, we report on growth rate of males and females of the tropical tree lizard Urosaurus bicarinatus, in a seasonal environment in the state of Jalisco on the Mexican Pacific Coa...

Species with wide distribution, generally show variations in life history characteristics, which can be attributed to environmental causes. In this study, we analyzed the reproductive cycle and reproductive characteristics from three populations (Atlapexco, San Pablo Tetlapayac, and Santa Catarina) of the lizard Sceloporus variabilis from central M...

Muchas especies de lagartijas que viven en una misma población, pueden mostrar diferentes colores en una misma región del cuerpo. En biología, a este fenómeno se le conoce como polimorfismo en coloración, fenómeno que si bien no es muy común en la naturaleza, tampoco es tan raro. En esta revisión, se describen algunos procesos que contribuyen al ma...

El bosque tropical estacionalmente seco se localiza en México, específicamente en las costas del Golfo de México, Mar Caribe y el Pacífico, donde alberga una gran diversidad de especies animales y vegetales. A pesar de ello, es considerado como uno de los ecosistemas más vulnerables de México, debido a las actividades humanas que se desarrollan ahí...

This study reports the first record of a bifurcated tail in the Plateau Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma velasci) within an agroecosystem in Singuilucan, Hidalgo, Mexico. The malformed juvenile was captured in a cattle pond during a field survey on September 9, 2022. The bifurcation may have resulted from environmental factors such as agrochemical and h...

Studies have found that polymorphism in a population of the lizard Sceloporus minor from central Mexico is not maintained by niche partitioning, thus leaving open the possibility that the polymorphism is being maintained by frequency-dependent selection or by variation in reproductive potential. Therefore, the objective of this study is to make a g...

Lizard species of wide distribution can show differences in morphology and many other characteristics, in particular in the scutelation. In this study, we analyzed the variation of 22 meristic characters between sexes and among populations of Sce-loporus variabilis from the state of Hidalgo in central Mexico. The variables such as dorsal scales, sc...

Populations of the same species that inhabit contrasting environments may be subject to different selection pressures, promoted by the local environment. Therefore, the individuals of the different populations respond to these pressures with adaptations to local environments; however, not all species or populations respond in the same way. We compa...

The niche partitioning hypothesis predicts differential use of resources among morphs depending on resource dynamics and morph frequencies. Additionally, morphs might select microhabitats favorable for the regulation of body temperature through behavioral mechanisms. Intra- and intersexual social interactions among morphs can also affect patterns o...

Plethodontids are organisms highly linked to variations in temperature and moisture in the environment. The major determinant of their body temperature is the interaction between microhabitat preferences and time of day. However, there are proposed differences in moisture and temperature preferences among age classes. This study examines how microh...

The transformation of tropical forests to agricultural systems modifies the diversity of species. Species respond differentially to disturbance depending on how they interact with their environment; therefore, the diversity of species that results following the transformation of a tropical forest could depend on the type of agricultural system that...

Human spatial concentration determines a process known as urbanization. Urbanization affects wildlife as it develops on sites originally used by it. Despite such an effect, today many basic data are unknown, as well the identity of the species using urbanized places. Considering it, here we defined groups and species of wildlife found in urban plac...

La concentración humana en el espacio ha ocasionado un proceso conocido como urbanización. La urbanización afecta a la vida silvestre pues ocupa los espacios que originalmente usaba. A pesar de este efecto, a la fecha no se conocen datos básicos, por ejemplo, la identidad de las especies presentes en sitios urbanizados. Por ello, en este trabajo de...

Anurans communicate primarily through calls, which can be classified into three categories (reproductive, defensive, and aggressive) according to the social context in which they occur. Aggressive calls are usually produced by males to defend resources (e.g., calling sites and females), generally accompanied by physical aggression. Here, we report...

Reproductive ecology and natural history of Kinosternon herrerai (Testudines: Kinosternidae) at the center of its distribution. Mexico harbors 10 endemic species of mud turtles of genus Kinosternon, but natural history information is lacking for most of them. Herein we describe some generalities of the reproductive ecology and natural history of on...

In this note, we report the diet and clutches of two specimens of the frog, Hyalinobatrachium viridissimum, as well as the larval development stages and morphological attributes in a transformed environment (grazing area) in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. This report contributes to the knowledge of the natural history of the species, and therefore,...

For species that have a fossorial habit or that spend most of their time under leaf litter, correlative models may not be sufficient to model their potential risk in the face of climate change; this is the case for the species examined here. In the present study, we compared three different models (maximum entropy correlative models, mechanistic mo...

Frágil y apacible, oculta en el bosque permanece la salamandra, reposando ante el inquietante y frío mur-muro de la noche. Así como los anuros (ranas y sapos) y los gimnofiones (ce-cilias), los caudados (salamandras) pertenecen a la clase Amphibia. Sin embargo, a diferencia de los primeros dos órdenes, las salamandras desarrollan una cola bien defi...

We report the first record of ectromelia (incomplete limb segments) in an individual of Dryophytes eximius found in a pine forest of Hidalgo, Mexico.

We report a case of a forelimb anomaly in an adult female of Phrynosoma orbiculare found in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Caudal autotomy is a behaviour in lizards that favours survival but brings with it some associated costs, mainly loss of energy, which is related to the position of the breaking point. Moreover, the frequency of tail loss can vary at different levels, between sexes, populations, seasons and at an intra‐ and inter‐population level. In this study, we...

La Norma Oficial Mexicana 059 (NOM-059) es la lista de las especies bajo diferentes categorías de riesgo publicada por el gobierno mexicano. Se han publicado tres versiones diferentes de la NOM-059 (1994, 2001 y 2010) y, una actualización solo para plantas en 2015. Para este trabajo solo consideramos las tres versiones oficiales de la norma. Encont...

The growth in our knowledge of the diversity of the herpetofauna of Mexico has occurred over the period of approximately 445 years from the work of Francisco Hernán-dez to that of a broad multinational array of present-day herpetologists. The work of this huge group of people has established Mexico as one of the most significant centers of herpetof...

Here we describe records of lizards of Sceloporus grammicus with missing toes, which we believe were missing naturally.

Taxonomic and functional diversity metrics have been used together to describe functional patterns through species richness in a given area or region. Many scientists have shown that these two metrics can be positively correlated; nevertheless, other studies have found the opposite. In either case, the usefulness of both metrics has helped to devel...

Populations and chromosomal races of a species often show variation in life-history characteristics due to phylogeny and environmental factors. We analysed variation in snout-vent length (SVL) and reproductive variables, such as minimum SVL at sexual maturity, litter size and embryo volume in females of the Sceloporus grammicus lizard complex, whic...

Populations and chromosomal races of a species often show variation in life-history characteristics due to phylogeny and environmental factors. We analysed variation in snout–vent length (SVL) and reproductive variables, such as minimum SVL at sexual maturity, litter size and embryo volume in females of the Sceloporus grammicus lizard complex, whic...

The transformation of tropical forests to agricultural systems modifies the diversity of species. Species respond differentially to disturbance depending on how they interact with their environment; therefore, the diversity of species that results following the transformation of a tropical forest could depend on the type of agricultural system that...

Currently, the American continent contains the greatest diversity of turtles on the planet, likewise, Mexico ranks second after the United States in species richness. However, this great diversity of turtles is severely threatened by different human activities such as urbanization, species trafficking, overexploitation and climate change that toget...

Sexual dimorphism is a widespread feature in the Animal Kingdom. In lizards of the Sceloporus grammicus complex, studies of sexual dimorphism that analyze the allometric trajectories of body traits remain unexplored. Here we investigate sexual dimorphism in key phenotypic traits, including body size (snout-vent length, SVL) as well as head length (...

Museum voucher numbers of the Sceloporus grammicus complex

The goal of this study is to describe patterns of reproductive activity and associated characteristics in a lizard community from an arid environment in the southern Chihuahuan Desert region of Mexico. Results of this study showed variation in snout-vent length (SVL) in adults female and male among 18 species. A similar pattern occurred in body mas...

We explore the feeding habits of two populations of the lizard Aspidoscelis lineattissima from two localities (Cocinas = island and Xametla = mainland) under the hypothesis that in an insular environment, there is less selection of food, because it is a relatively comfortable environment to forage due to the presence of few competitors and predator...

Widely distributed lizard species that occur in contrasting habitats generally show distinctive morphological and thermal traits that are the results of local adaptations via sexual and natural selection. Here, we assessed the effect of sex and seasonality on morphology, thermal ecology, and perch height of Sceloporus grammicus of four populations...

Many amphibian species possess male-specific secretory breeding glands. In anurans, such specialized glands are often present as nuptial pads at the first digit of the hand, which are pressed against the female during amplexus. However, the role of nuptial pad secretions remains largely unknown. Here, we investigate the inner morphology as well as...

Se identificó la presencia de anidación de Chelonia mydas en la playa Chaparrales, Veracruz. Para este estudio, fueron ubicados sitios donde se realizó la puesta y fue monitoreado in situ, se tomaron datos la temperatura, humedad y profundidad de los nidos, así como el tamaño de los huevos, tiempo de eclosión, número de crías al eclosionar y el pes...

Las lagartijas arborícolas del género Abronia se consideran un grupo de reptiles muy vulnerables a la extracción del medio silvestre para el mercado de mascotas. En el presente estudio se evaluó el tráfico de especies del género Abronia que se distribuyen en México. También se identificaron aquellas especies del género que son más ofertadas en el c...

The herpetofauna of the state of Querétaro, Mexico, consists of 129 species, including 27 anurans, seven caudates, 92 squamates, and three turtles. Regarding the distribution of the herpetofaunal species among the three recognized physiographic regions in the state, the total number of species ranges from 43 in the Transmexican Volcanic Belt to 102...

The niche comprises the set of abiotic and biotic environmental conditions in which a species can live. Consequently, those species that present broader niches are expected to be more tolerant to changes in climatic variations than those species that present reduced niches. In this study, we estimate the amplitude of the climatic niche of fourteen...

The first complete albinism record is reported for the snake Conopsis nasus (Colubridae). This record represents the second case of albinism reported in a wild snake in Mexico.

The relationship between microhabitat use and morphology in Anolis lizards has been well studied in the Caribbean islands. However, studies of ecomorphology are scarce for the vast majority of mainland Anolis species. Thus there is a great lack of knowledge on how microhabitat use may influence the morphology of most mainland Anolis species. In thi...

Anthropized environments are associated with loss of biodiversity and have been listed as sites with low species richness for various biological groups. In this study, anuran amphibian species richness, community composition, and taxonomic and functional richness are analyzed for a highly anthropized region of central Mexico, the state of Querétaro...

We attempted to identify the factors influencing size and shape dimorphism between sexes, as well as among populations and species in the Sceloporus scalaris group (Sceloporus aeneus, S. scalaris, S. bicanthalis and S. subniger). Our analysis focused on five morphological characteristics: snout–vent length, head length, head width, forearm length a...

Resumen.- Sceloporus variabilis es una especie de amplia distribución y ocupa distintos tipos de hábitats. En este trabajo se reportan nuevos datos sobre el consumo de lagartijas, tanto de bosque tropical como de bosque mesófilo, y confirma la ocurrencia del canibalismo. Palabras clave.- Dieta, presas, Scincidae, contenido estomacal. Abstract.- Sce...

Background Efficient transfer of chemical signals is important for successful mating in many animal species. Multiple evolutionary lineages of animals evolved direct sex pheromone transmission during traumatic mating—the wounding of the partner with specialized devices—which helps to avoid signal loss to the environment. Although such direct transm...

Se muestra un panorama general de la biodiversidad del bosque mesófilo de montaña en el Estado de Hidalgo. Se incluyen: plantas vasculares, hongos, artrópodos, anfibios, reptiles, aves, mamíferos y factores de presión sobre este tipo de vegetación en el estado.

Describe la diversidad biológica de los bosques templados en el estado de Hidalgo, su distribución y factores de presión.

La generación de conocimiento y productos académicos es el reflejo de la calidad de los investigadores e instituciones. Sin embargo, debido al alto número de doctores egresados de los programas de doctorado y, a la limitada disponibilidad de plazas académicas en instituciones públicas y privadas, además de la falta de condiciones adecuadas para la...

The herpetofauna of the state of Veracruz, Mexico, currently consists of 359 species, including 76 anurans, 45 caudates, one caecilian, one crocodylian, 217 squamates, and 19 turtles. The distribution of the herpetofaunal species are catalogued here among the four recognized physiographic regions in the state. The total number of species ranges fro...

In comparison to some other vertebrate groups, female choice in lizards is relatively poorly understood. In contrast, aggressive behavior in lizards has been better studied; nevertheless, there are many genera and even whole families for which little or no information on aggressive behavior has been described. Therefore, the objective of this study...

Thermal ecology and microhabitat use by lizards are affected directly and indirectly by intrinsic (e.g., sex and body size) and extrinsic (e.g., environmental seasonality, vegetation cover, and wind speed) factors. Herein we evaluate the effect of seasonality and sex on field thermal ecology and microhabitat utilization of a population of Anolis ca...

A substantial number of changes to the composition of the herpetofauna of the Mexican state of Oaxaca, including taxonomic additions and deletions, have occurred in the five years since our original assessment of this region. These changes now establish a herpetofauna of 480 species for the state. A number of taxonomic and nomenclatural changes inv...

En este trabajo se exponen diferentes puntos de vista sobre la problemática actual de la conservación de la biodiversidad en México, tomando como referencia algunos grupos de animales y plantas (insectos, anfibios, reptiles, aves y plantas). El objetivo es dar a conocer los propblenas que enfrentan estos organismos ante los cambios recientes provoc...

En el artículo previo, en este mismo número de la revista Herreraiana, se analizó el problema de la conservación biológica en México, tomando como referencia algunos grupos de organismos. En este escrito, como complemento y continuación, se abordan los temas de la legislación existente, así como información de las diferentes dependencias que trabaj...

En este trabajo se exponen diferentes puntos de vista sobre la problemática actual de la conservación de la biodiversidad en México, tomando como referencia algunos grupos de animales y plantas (insectos, anfibios, reptiles, aves y plantas). El objetivo es dar a conocer los problemas que enfrentan estos organismos ante los cambios recientes provoca...

Intrasexual polychromatism has generally been linked to alternative reproductive and ecological tactics, where different morphs may exhibit differences in their behavioural, morphological, physiological, ecological, and life history characteristics. Therefore, these differences might favour the fitness of a certain morph over others. If multiple mo...

El conocimiento de la biodiversidad de los sírfidos (Diptera: Syrphidae) en las zonas semiáridas de México, es muy limitado, sobre todo, al relacionado con las cactáceas en descomposición. Este estudio aporta un inventario faunístico de los sírfidos del género Copestylum asociados a los tejidos en descomposición de los cactus de matorrales crasicau...

A review on the ecological and physiological hypotheses in the transition from oviparity to viviparity is presented using lizards (Squamata) as a model group. In addition, examples of lizard species are included that test the retention of eggs in the oviduct during prolonged embryonic development in high latitudes and temperate mountain environment...

The body size and reproductive characteristics in populations of the same species is influenced by environmental and ecological factors. In this study, we analysed the relationship of environmental factors, morphological characters (body size and mass) and reproductive traits (clutch size) of females from 13 populations of Sceloporus variabilis. Re...

Morphology and resource use have a significant influence on lizard population dynamics. In this study, sexual dimorphism and feeding ecology were assessed in a population of Sceloporus aeneus from central Mexico. Sexual dimorphism was recorded, with males being larger than females in several morphological characteristics, such as jaw width, femur l...

Anurans are components of the trophic networks in ecosystems in which they occur, given their high population densities and being a food source for diverse groups of vertebrates and invertebrates (Wells 2007, Hocking and Babbitt 2014). Spiders are among the most important invertebrate predators on anurans (Menin et al. 2005, Toledo 2005). However,...

In this study, concentrations of heavy metals (Ni, Cd, Pb, Cr, and Zn) were determined in water, sediment and tissues (intestine, gills and liver) of the anuran amphibian Dryophytes plicatus (tadpoles) from a lake in Mineral El Chico, Hidalgo, Mexico. The metal concentrations were obtained by spectrochemical analysis. Results showed that in water,...

The Chelonian lineage has been exposed to several climate change events along its evolutionary history, but the rapid contemporary change in climate patterns has the potential to erode turtle populations. This study focuses on (1) evaluating the climatically suitable area available for 15 species of mud turtles of the genus Kinosternon, and on (2)...

Morphological adaptations of individuals are directly (or indirectly) determined by the environment. Depending on sex, these adaptations may vary in different ways, given that different selective forces may be operating on organisms. Here, we evaluate intraspecific morphological variation (size and shape) in two populations of Sceloporus grammicus...

It has been reported that several lizard species escape from predators by swimming or floating on the water (Pianka and Vitt 2003. Lizards, Windows to the Evolution of Diversity. University of California Press, Berkeley, California. 333 pp.); this behavior has been specifically recorded in species that live near the bodies of water, such as Basilis...

The genera Iguanaand Ctenosaurabelong to the Iguanidae family, and populations of most species of these genera have decreased due to anthropogenic effects. The natural history of most species of this family is poorly known, including Ctenosaura similis. Therefore, this study documents some ecological aspects of the species, such as its feeding habi...

Magnolia vovidesii has been found in a few small patches in central Veracruz, Mexico. Previous ecological studies have suggested high reproductive potential and stable population growth; however, in the last 20 years, there have been severe anthropogenic environmental impacts on the species. The main objectives of this study were (a) to document th...

Crop area (CA) and agricultural management intensity (AMI) are the two main factors associated with agricultural systems that can negatively affect the diversity of animal communities. Despite existing knowledge, the effect of both factors has not been analyzed for all biological groups. In this study, we evaluated the effect of CA and AMI in two t...

Sexual dimorphism in lizards is determined by ecological and environmental factors. Broadly distributed species may show variation in patterns of sexual dimorphism toward either sex, as well as exhibiting variation in morphological dimensions. In the present study, sexual dimorphism in size and shape attributes was evaluated in three populations of...

In the present study, we analyse sexual dimorphism in size and shape of morphological attributes in a population of Abronia taeniata in central Mexico. The variables analysed were snout–vent length (SVL), head length (HL), head width (HW), head height (HH), tibia length (TL) and femur length (FL). In the size attributes, males and females had simil...

The herpetofauna of Hidalgo, Mexico, is comprised of 203 species, including 42 anurans, 17 caudates, one crocodylian, 137 squamates, and six turtles. Here, the distribution of the herpetofaunal species are catalogued among the four recognized physiographic regions. The total number of species varies from 77 in the Mexican Plateau to 166 in the Sier...

We analyzed sexual dimorphism and reproductive characteristics (minimum size at sexual maturity, clutch size, and reproductive period) of females and males of Sceloporus cozumelae, a species endemic to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, and which belongs to the Sceloporus variabilis group. Sexual dimorphism was recorded, with the males being larger in...

Amphibian species of the family Hylidae exhibit a high degree of endemism in Mexico. To better understand ongoing declines of many amphibian populations, especially for endemic species that are particularly vulnerable to extinction, information on diverse aspects of their biological makeup is required, including their ecology. This study provides a...

Geographic distribution of the Mexican salamander Isthmura maxima. First report in the municipality of Villa de Tututepec de Melchor Ocampo, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Polymorphism among individuals of the same population has generally been linked to alternative reproductive tactics, where different morphs can exhibit differences in their morphological, ecological, and behavioral attributes. These differences may result in a divergence in diet between morphs due to differential exploitation of habitat, morphologi...

In this study, sexual dimorphism, reproductive cycles, litter size and offspring size of a population of the little‐known species Sceloporus palaciosi in central Mexico were analysed. Significant male‐biased sexual size dimorphism was recorded in snout–vent length (SVL), head length, head width, forearm length and tibia length. Both sexes showed as...

Abstract. Badillo-Saldaña LM, García-Rosales A, Lara-Tufiño JD, Ramírez-Bautista A. 2019. Morphological evidence of sexual dimorphism in a Continental anole species of southeastern Mexico. Biodiversitas 20: 3347-3351. Intersexual differences (sexual dimorphism; SD) have been observed in many traits of vertebrate and invertebrate species. These diff...

ABSTRACT.—Lithobates johni and Lithobates berlandieri have, respectively, a restricted and a wide geographic distribution, and cohabit in the center of the Atlantic versant of Mexico. We analyze and compare the feeding habits of these two syntopic species, specifically evaluating differences in trophic niche breadth and overlap between sexes (L. jo...

We analysed size (snout-vent length, SVL), body mass, reproductive cycles, and reproductive characteristics (litter size) of a population of the viviparous lizard Abronia taeniata in the central part of the Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico. Sizes and weights were similar between sexes. The males reach sexual maturity (SVL = 74.6 mm) at a smaller siz...

Although ontogeny influences dietary composition and trophic niche breadth in many anurans, its effects on diet have been little analyzed in sympatric species. In this study, we analyzed interspecific and ontogenetic variation in dietary composition and trophic niche width in an anuran community from a semi-arid environment. We found a more profoun...

The diet of lizards is associated with environmental variables, food availability, and morphological traits. This study evaluated the diet as well as sexual dimorphism in head structures and its relationship with prey volumes in males and females of two populations (Las Lagunas and El Oro, San Luis Potos´ı, Mexico) of the polymorphic Minor Lizard,...