Edna González-Bernal

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Instituto Politécnico Nacional CIIDIR Oaxaca, México

The introduction of invasive fish for aquaculture can significantly impact native aquatic fauna, especially in regions where native amphibians have a biphasic life cycle. We conducted three laboratory experiments to assess the effects of introduced rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) aquaculture on the native showy leopard frog (Lithobates spectabi...

The montane cloud forests of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca (SMO) host a remarkable herpetofauna diversity and represent one of the most important areas of endemism for Mexico and Mesoamerica. Although the area has been previously studied, most of the extant records for this group are biased to locations accessed by paved roads. In addition, an importa...

The Mexican mud turtle, Kinosternon integrum, is a native Mexican species with a wide distribution. However, despite its abundance, information on its demographics, natural history, and threats is scarce. We report 18 new records of K. integrum in the states of Oaxaca and Puebla. These data highlight threats such as contamination of remaining aquat...

We provide new records of Neogale frenata and Potos flavus, two carnivores with elusive behaviors that are challenging to observe in their natural habitats. Through direct records compiled in diurnal and nocturnal monitoring over three years, we record two individuals of N. frenata, a juvenile and an adult, and three individuals of P. flavus, an ad...

Here, we present the first record of Rheohyla miotympanum and Incilius occidentalis in the Municipality of San Miguel del Río, Oaxaca along with a brief description of their habitat. We provide morphological measurements and one call for R. miotympanum.

New records of Basiliscus vittatus in Oaxaca, Mexico

Ecological observations of Chiropterotriton chiropterus (Caudata: Plethodontidae), an endangered salamander from Mexico

La conservación de la biodiversidad, es la práctica de elaborar estrategias de acción para mantener la integridad estructural y funcional de los ecosistemas que se distribuyen en una determinada región del planeta. Esta práctica se ha convertido en una necesidad global debido a la extinción de especies y a la crisis por el cambio climático que enfr...

Although amphibian consumption by humans has been reported globally, this practice is not well studied despite its direct implications to the decline of amphibian populations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognizes the need to document the use and trade of species to be considered in assessing their extinction risk. He...

Comparative phylogenetic studies of adaptation are uncommon in biomechanics and physiology. Such studies require data collection from many species, a challenge when this is experimentally intensive. Moreover, researchers struggle to employ the most biologically appropriate phylogenetic tools for identifying adaptive evolution. Here, we detail an es...

Amphibian populations are declining rapidly around the world. However, new amphibian species keep being discovered, reflecting the still expanding state of our knowledge of this group. Similarly, there is a lack of information regarding life cycles, particularly among those species that have indirect development with a free-living larval stage. Man...

Charadrahyla esperancensis, a new species of tree frog, is described from the cloud forest of Sierra d Juárez on the northern slopes of Oaxaca. This species is sympatric with C. nephila and is distinguished by the presence of a protuding snout with a distinctive downward slope posterior to the nostril in lateral view, with an evident rostral keel,...

Like many invasive species, cane toads (Rhinella marina) in Australia concentrate in the disturbed habitats created by human activity, rather than in pristine areas. We surveyed cane toads in the wet–dry tropics of the Northern Territory to assess the abundances, body sizes, sexes, behaviour, hydration state and feeding rates of toads around buildi...

Although generalized habitat use may contribute to the success of invasive taxa, even species that are typically described as habitat generalists exhibit non-random patterns of habitat use.We measured abiotic and biotic factors in 42 plots (each 100 × 10 m) along a 4.2-km long unpaved road in tropical Australia, at a site that had been invaded by c...

Individual variation in behavioural traits (including responses to social cues) may influence the success of invasive populations. We studied the relationship between sociality and personality in invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina) from a recently established population in tropical Australia. In our field experiments, we manipulated social cues (...

Ecological interactions among invasive species can affect not only the success of the invaders, but also their impact on ecosystems in the invaded range. In Australia, both dung beetles (subfamily Scarabaeinae) and cane toads (Rhinella marina) were introduced for biocontrol: the beetles to break down bovine faeces piles (cowpats) that otherwise acc...

Many invasive species exploit the disturbed habitats created by human activities. Understanding the effects of habitat disturbance on invasion success, and how disturbance interacts with other factors (such as biotic resistance to the invaders from the native fauna) may suggest new ways to reduce invader viability. In tropical Australia, commercial...

Abstract The helminth parasite fauna of the hylid frog Pseudacris hypochondriaca in several localities along the Baja California Peninsula in northwestern Mexico is presented. The helminth fauna consists of 4 species of nematodes (Oswaldocruzia pipiens, a larval form of an Ascaridid, and two new species belonging the genera Rhabdias and Cosmocercoi...

Habitat disturbance and the spread of invasive organisms are major threats to biodiversity, but the interactions between these two factors remain poorly understood in many systems. Grazing activities may facilitate the spread of invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina) through tropical Australia by providing year-round access to otherwise-seasonal res...

Invasive geckos of the genus Hemidactylus (Gekkonidae) are spreading rapidly through urban environments in many tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The invaders have caused rapid declines in native gecko abundance in some areas, but their interactions with Australian native species remain unknown. In a small rural village near Darwin, we f...

The foraging sites selected by an ambush forager can strongly affect its feeding opportunities. Foraging cane toads (Rhinella marina) typically select open areas, often under artificial lights that attract insects. We conducted experimental trials in the field, using rubber mats placed under lights, to explore the influence of substrate color and r...

Mexico, a rich country in terms of amphibian diversity, hosts about 375 described species. Population declines have been documented for several species where it is evident that their habitat is being destroyed or modified. However, other species which inhabit pristine areas are declining as well. It has been suggested that the chytrid fungus Batrac...