Ha-Cheol Sung

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Ha-Cheol verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

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• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor at Chonnam National University

Understanding the movement patterns and home range of a species is essential for developing effective conservation strategies. However, research on these aspects in the Asiatic toad (Bufo gargarizans) in South Korea remains limited, highlighting the need for further study. This study used radiotelemetry to examine the movement patterns and home ran...

Stopover sites are essential for migratory birds, offering opportunities to rest and refuel during migration. The quality of these habitats directly influences migration success, particularly for small passerine birds that depend on readily available food resources. However, high-quality habitats are often scarce at stopover sites. In the Republic...

Most woodpeckers use drumming—the rapid and repeated hitting of the beak on a hard surface—as a means of communication. While structurally similar, the drumming of different woodpecker species can exhibit variation in cadence (i.e., duration, number of beats, speed, and acceleration) providing species-specific information. This study aimed to inves...

The Gochang Tidal Flat plays a crucial role as a stopover site for migratory shorebirds within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). This study focuses on 10 shorebird species observed at Gochang to assess their migration patterns using standardized survey methods. From July 2022 to June 2023, we conducted 24 surveys across five designated sit...

Acoustic communication is one of the primary ways birds transmit and acquire important information. Birds living in urban environments are limited in the transmission and recognition of vocalizations due to intense low-frequency anthropogenic noise, but the Acoustic Adaptation Hypothesis (AAH) suggests that birds mitigate the masking effects of noi...

The Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) is considered the most primitve species in the genus Ciconia, notable for its monotypic behavior and morphology. This species is distributed acros the Palearctic and Indo-African regions, covering a large breding range (40°-60°N), but its population size is relatively smal. Therefore, few previous studies have inve...

By selecting appropriate microhabitats, animals gain various benefits. For amphibians, which are ectothermic, appropriate microhabitat selection is directly related to their survival. This study aims to characterizethe microhabitat type selected by Bufo gargarizans in South Korea, which has not yet been examined, using radiotelemetry. We analyzed t...

The razor-backed musk turtle (Sternotherus carinatus) is native to the Southwestern United States and is traded as a pet. Currently, turtle species that are traded as pets have been observed in the wild with increasing frequency, and S. carinatus is among them. To effectively manage an invasive species, it is necessary to know its distribution. The...

Invasive species are a growing global concern. Modern transportation and the pet trade are facilitating the spread of invasive species. In particular, the global trade of freshwater turtles remains prevalent, with a significant emphasis on their utilization as pets. Aligning with other parts of the world, many recent studies reported a number of al...

Tidal flats provide critical habitat for migratory waterbird species; however, populations of migratory waterbirds have significantly declined due to tidal flat loss and degradation caused by human activities, particularly in Asia. Gochang getbol is one of tidal flats located on the southwest coast of South Korea and a center of clam production. Us...

The spread of American Bullfrog has a significant impact on the surrounding ecosystem. It is important to study the mechanisms of their spreading so that proper mitigation can be applied when needed. This study analyzes data from national surveys on bullfrog distribution. We divided the data into 25 regional clusters. To assess the spread within ea...

Urbanization has resulted in changes in bird life histories, and some species have successfully adapted to urban environments, resulting in synurbization. Nest site selection in urban areas challenges cavity nesters because natural nest sites are often replaced by artificial holes. This study was conducted to identify the nest site selection and ne...

The tree frog is a prominent amphibian among terrestrial vertebrates known for its ability to adhere to various surfaces through the capillary forces of water in the microchannels between micropillars on its disc‐shaped toe pads, a phenomenon known as wet adhesion. However, the secretion pattern of mucus on the attachment surface of living tree fro...

Given their pervasiveness in the environment, particularly in aquatic ecosystems, plastics are posing a growing concern worldwide. Many vertebrates and invertebrates in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems exhibit microplastic (MP) uptake and accumulation. Some studies have indicated the fatal impacts of MPs on animals and their possible...

Leucism, in which pigmentation is lost over part or the entire body of an animal, has a range of possible genetic causes. Here, we report leucism in an individual tiger keelback ( Rhabdophis tigrinus ) found on Jeung Island, Shinan‐gun, Jeollanam‐do, South Korea, during a survey of the distribution of reptiles in the area. The individual was observ...

The complete mitochondrial genome of Chrysemys dorsalis in Korea was sequenced and characterized. The mitochondrial genome is 17,258 bp in length and the GC content is 39%. It is constituted of 37 genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and a noncoding region. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that C. dorsalis form...

Invasive species are organisms that are introduced into places outside of their natural distribution range. The global pet trade is facilitating the introduction of invasive species into new countries and areas. Among the introduced alien species, turtles are one of the most common animal groups whether lives in wetland ecosystems, such as wetlands...

The complete mitochondrial genome of Chrysemys picta bellii in Korea was sequenced and characterized. The mitochondrial genome consists of 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 2 ribosomal RNA genes) and a noncoding region. Phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial genome sequences revealed that C. p. bellii from Kore...

Sternotherus carinatus has been considered as a potential invasive species in Korea. However, the mitochondrial genome information of S. carinatus which can be used to control its effect on ecosystem is lacking. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of S. carinatus in Korea was sequenced and characterized. The mitochondrial genome consis...

Calling is one of the unique amphibian characteristics that facilitates social communication and shows individuality; however, it also makes them vulnerable to predators. Researchers use amphibian call properties to study their population status, ecology, and behavior. This research scope has recently broadened to species identification and taxonom...

Leucism, in which pigmentation is lost over part or the entire body of an animal, has a range of possible genetic causes. Here, we report leucism in an individual tiger keelback (Rhabdophis tigrinus) found on Jeung Island, Shinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea, during a survey of the distribution of reptiles in the area. The individual was observed...

The spread of American Bullfrog, one of the 100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species, has a great impact on the surrounding ecosystem. Little is known about the tendancy and pattern of how they are spreading in South Korea geographically. It is important to study the tendancy of their spreading so that a proper mitigation can be applied when...

In bi-parental species, breeding pairs cooperate to regulate incubation duration through nest-relief behavior, using vocal signals to communicate when exchanging incubation duties. To better understand this behavior, two important questions are (1) which vocalizations are mainly used with nest-relief behavior and (2) which parent initiates nest rel...

nvasive species are introduced for various purposes, such as pets and food, and the trade of reptiles amongthem has continuously increased due to their unusual or rare external character traits. As their imports increase,the number of exotic reptiles in the wild is also increasing, and most of the recently discovered exotic turtles havebeen found n...

Tidal flats along the southwestern coast of the Republic of Korea are known as internationally important habitats for migratory shorebirds in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway (EAAF). Recent habitat destruction at stopover sites has caused declines in migratory shorebird populations, but the population sizes and habitat use patterns of these speci...

Bird call, which is widely used in all species of birds, is short, simple, and functionally diverse in comparison to song. Here, we have recorded call types of Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus) at multiple situations and various communal behaviors. The Eurasian tree sparrow belongs to the oscine (song-learning) group of songbirds, but their...

In social animals that form flocks, individuals compete or cooperate to gain access to shared resources. In particular, group-foraging individuals frequently engage in aggressive interactions with conspecifics, including threat displays and physical attacks, in order to acquire food resources. Here, we investigated social interactions in flocks of...

The threat of predation is the main cause of bird nest abandonment, with such behaviour imposing considerable energetic costs on breeding birds. However, for several species , nest abandonment can be a less costly alternative to complete brood failure. In this study, we examined nest abandonment among Eurasian Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus) by sur...

Alien invasive species are posing conservation challenges worldwide. Pet trade, one of the many ways, is worsening the situation. Especially, pet turtles have been released into nature due to their longer life span and peoples’ religious and traditional beliefs. In addition, unwanted and undesired pets are also released. While information on the su...

Most sexually monomorphic species, including the family Corvidae, are visually indistinguishing in field investigations. We investigated intersexaul morphological differences of the Azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyanus). We caught 86 adults (67 males, 14 females, and 5 unidentified), measured their morphological characteristics (head-bill length,...

This study encoded the complete mitochondrial genomic sequence of the little ringed plover Charadrius dubius. The mitochondrial genome has a total length of 16,864 bp, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and a control region. The nucleotide composition was 23.8% T, 31.6% A, 30.8% C, and 13.8% G. This study provides...

Sex determination of birds is essential for ecological studies, but visually distinguishing the sex of monomorphic birds in the field is challenging. We investigated intersexual morphological differences in the Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus saturatus), which is known as a sexually monomorphic species. We caught 198 adult Eurasian Tree Spar...

Invasive species are of global conservation concern. South Korea is also facing the same challenge, especially, due to the growing pet trade. Herein, we report Pelomedusa cf. olivacea (Schweigger, 1812) from the wild in South Korea, where it has been imported as a pet. This is the first record of Pelomedusa in the Asian continent. In October 2019,...

The complete mitochondrial genome of Pseudemys concinna in Korea was sequenced and characterized. The mitochondrial genome is constituted of 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes) and a noncoding region. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete mitochondrial genome showed that P. conc...

The complete mitochondrial genome of Pseudemys peninsularis in Korea was sequenced and characterized. The mitochondrial genome is constituted of 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and two ribosomal RNA genes) and a noncoding region. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 13 protein-coding gene sequences showed that P. peninsulari...

The invasive species are of global concern, and the Invasive American Bullfrog (IAB; Lithobates catesbeianus) is one of the worst invasive amphibian species worldwide. Like other countries, South Korea is also facing challenges from IAB. Although many studies indicated impacts of IAB on native anurans in Korea, the actual risk at the specific level...

In animal societies, conspecific killing is the most extreme way in which individuals resolve conflicts and is rarely reported in the literature. The reasons for such behavior are unclear because the majority of reports present only circumstantial evidence. Herein, we report the first-ever direct observation of conspecific killing in a flock of cap...

On 26 June 2019, a large number of Suweon treefrogs, Dryophytes suweonensis, was found in a rice paddy located in Gimpo-si, South Korea. A total of 31 adults of D. suweonensis were found, breeding in a single rice paddy. No other Suweon treefrog was found within a radius of approximately 1 km from the rice paddy. The number of Suweon treefrogs reco...

2021년 12월 16일 광주광역시 북구 용봉동에 위치한 전남대학교 용봉캠퍼스 내에서 파랑딱새(Eumyias thalassinus) 암컷 1개체가 관찰되었다. 국내에서는 이동시기 도서지역에서의 관찰기록은 있으나 미보고된 종이며 겨울철 공식 월동 기록 또한 전무하다. 이번 기록은 촬영한 사진을 근거로 하여 파랑딱새의 공식적인 첫 월동 사례로써 보고하고자 한다.

Simple Summary Age determination is very important for observing life history traits, evaluating vulnerable life stages, and setting proper management and conservation strategies. Age determination in animals has always been tricky. Among other approaches, skeletochronology, an age determination method that involves counting the lines of arrested g...

Acoustic bird surveys are advantageous in that they can compensate for the limitations of visual observations. On February 7, 2021, we recorded the vocal call of the Ryukyu Minivet (Pericrocotus tegimae) in a valley near Yangari, Namhae-gun, in the Hallyeohaesang National Marine Park, at ~09:00 h using an automatic acoustic recorder. This is the fi...

Two individuals of the Ryukyu Minivet (Pericrocotus tegima) was observed on 23 December 2020 at Chonnam National University (N 35°10´30.21˝, E 126°54´12.09˝) in Gwangju, Korea. We have the first observation of the birds recorded in Gageo-do island on May 2014, and several unofficial records were made on islands during the migration period. However,...

Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus is widely distributed passerine bird, and one sub-species P. m. saturatus is known to inhabit North-East Asia. In this study, we decode the complete mitochondrial genome of P. m. saturatus from the Republic of Korea. Mitogenome was 16,904 bp in length, and the content of A, T, G, and C were 30.0% (5079 bp), 22....

We investigated the movement and behavior of the Asian toad (Bufo gargarizans) during the post-breeding season. To radio telemetry, we captured a total five toads (one female, four males) and attached a transmitter at Bipyeong pond, Gwangyang-si, Republic of Korea. The tracking was conducted from 2 march to 31 May 2017. As a result, average distanc...

The complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Trachemys scripta elegans in Korea was sequenced and characterized. The mt genome is constituted of 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and 2 ribosomal RNA genes) and a noncoding control region. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete mt genome showed that T. s. elegans Korea has cl...

The complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Trachemys scripta ssp. in Korea was sequenced and characterized. The mt genome is constituted of 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and 2 ribosomal RNA genes) and a control region. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete mt genome showed that the unidentified turtle had the mt geno...

The complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Trachemys scripta troostii was sequenced and was characterized, which comprised 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, and 2 ribosomal RNAs) and a non-coding control region. Phylogenetic analysis based on the full mt genome indicated that T. s. troostii was more closely related to T. scripta f...

We used 3D micro-computed tomography to compare the skeletal features of two species of male tree frogs with similar morphologies: the globally prevalent Hyla japonica and critically endangered Hyla suweonensis. One of the most prominent differences between the two species was the angle of the alary processes of the premaxilla. In H. suweonensis, t...

Alligator snapping turtles (Macrochelys temminckii Troost, 1835), Chelydridae, is native to the United States and is popular as a pet in many countries despite its large size and inclusions in CITES (Appendix III). On October 15, 2019, an alligator snapping turtle was found at the bottom of a stream in Gwangju, Republic of Korea. The turtle measure...

The Eurasian tree sparrows Passer montanus are small, sexually monomorphic birds that live near human residence. They are a cavity-nesting species that inhabits numerous types of hole, especially in buildings and nestboxes. Although the birds are common residents in the South Korea, their breeding ecology has not been reported. In this study, we mo...

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), which has never been recorded in South Korea, appeared on Jeju Island in 2018 and re-emerged in the inland area of Seocheon-gun (South Chungcheong Province) and in Goyang-si (Gyeonggi Province) in the following year. This study aims to report the progress in observing P. falcinellus in the inland areas of South K...

Globally, an increase in the transportation and expansion of the pet market is the most important cause of the invasion of non-native species. Invasion of non-native species disturbs native ecosystems and leads to socio-economic problems. The pet trade involving turtles has been globally recognized as the route through which non-native species ente...

Recent advances in transportation and expansion of the pet trade have increased the influx of non-native species into the Republic of Korea. Many of these non-native species have been introduced into the wild through release by humans. The introduction of non-native species can cause ecosystem disturbances, as well as a variety of social and econom...

The development of transportation and the expansion of the pet market has become the main causes of the increase in the cross-border migration of non-native species. Moreover, recent sales over the Internet were a factor that has promoted pet trades. While the import of non-native species has been steadily increasing in the Republic of Korea, it is...

Song production across many songbird species is shaped by largely conserved sets of constraints associated with song control, production, and perception. This chapter addresses two main hypotheses: (1) that mechanisms of birdsong production and performance set constraints on vocal structure in ways that run parallel across taxa and that help to exp...

This study investigated home range and habitat characteristics in tawny owls (Strix aluco), a grade II endangered wildlife species from South Korea. We tracked a breeding pair in Gyeongbuk during their brooding period using an attached radio-transmitter through a satellite tracking system (WT-300: GPS-Mobile phone based Telemetry). The subjects had...

The complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Hynobius unisacculus was sequenced and characterized. The circular mt genome constituted of 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, and 2 ribosomal RNAs) and a non-coding region (NCR). Phylogenetic analysis based on the full mt genome sequences confirmed that H. unisacculus was closely related...

The complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Lithobates catesbeianus was sequenced and characterized. The circular mt genome was constituted of of 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, and 2 ribosomal RNAs) and a non-coding region (NCR). Phylogenetic analysis based on the full mt genome sequences confirmed that among the genus Lithobate...

We investigated the changes in the population size and inter-specific space usage for breeding in mixed breeding sites of the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), grey heron (Ardea cinerea), great egret (Ardea alba modesta) and intermediate egret (Egretta intermedia) in Gammul-myeon, Goesan-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea, in 2016–2017. These...

Red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans, is one of the most famous species to disturb native ecosystems in the world. In South Korea, the species was imported as pet, and now it is found whole of the country. Recent, natural breeding and spreading of the turtle has been reported. In this paper, we investigated the environmental factors to affec...

Bird song may provide female birds with signals of male quality. To investigate this potential for sexual selection via female choice, we assessed the relationships between male song variation and male mating and reproductive success of the Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis (J.F. Gmelin, 1789)) over 3 years (2001–2003) in a population of...

American bullfrog Rana catesbeiana Shaw, 1802 (= Lithobates catesbeianus) is one of the world's most problematic amphibians. In both 1957 and 1973, the species was introduced to the Republic of Korea, in order to be bred as a food resource. However, after breeding efforts failed, the breeders illegally released the frogs into the wild. Now, about 5...

In this study, we investigated the habitat characteristics of a reservoir in Gyeongju City, Gyeongbuk, in which a large group of Mauremys reevesii (endangered species Class II and natural monument No. 453 in Korea) was discovered. We examined the biotic and abiotic factors that directly and indirectly threaten the survival of M. reevesii within the...

The song repertoire across avian species varies considerably in size, and reliable measurement is important in defining its significance as a target in sexual selection. In this study, the song structure and song repertoire size of the Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) in South Korea were investigated. The songs had major syllable variation r...

Capsule: Components of Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus song have evolved along independent trajectories and show a mix of clinal and dialect patterns of geographic variation. Aims: To investigate multiple structural components of song in Daurian Redstarts Phoenicurus auroreus as they varied among five locations across South Korea. To test whe...

The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is the one of the most popular pets, and the most commonly traded species in the world. It is designated as an ecosystem disturbance species that has been managed in South Korea. To date, no reports of natural or anthropogenic migration and spreading of T. s. elegans in South Korea are available. In...

Vocal individuality has been used as a monitoring tool, and two criteria are a prerequisite: high variation among individuals and low variation within individuals, and vocal consistency within and across seasons. We examined individual variation in the territorial hoot calls of the tawny owl (Strix aluco) to discriminate between males and to assess...

Climate change has extensive impacts on abundance, distribution, and conservation of species and ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to investigate impacts of future climate change on the species richness of land vertebrates, and to assess critical areas that might be continuously threatened by climate change in order to maintain high species...

There is much controversy over the species and subspecies status of the white wagtail complex, which is further compounded by interbreeding between two subspecies, the Amur Wagtail (Motacilla alba leucopsis) and the Black-backed Wagtail (M. a. lugens). This study presents preliminary information on the breeding biology of both subspecies on Ulleung...

To investigate distribution, habitat characteristics, and current conservation status of the endangered endemic species, rapid small gudgeon Microphysogobio rapidus (Cyprinidae), we surveyed a total of 79 sites from the historic records (20 sites) plus additional sites (59 sites) with good habitat conditions, analyzed their sites, and compared them...

The complete mitochondrial genome of a treefrog (Hyla sp.) was determined. The circular mitochondrial genome is 18,288 bp long and encodes 13 proteins, 22 transfer RNAs, and 2 ribosomal RNAs. Phylogenetic analysis of its full genome sequences showed that H. sp. was closely related to H. ussuriensis and H. japonica rather than Dryophytes suweonensis...

We successfully obtained 3D skeletal images of Hyla suweonensis, employing a nondestructive method by applying appropriate anesthesia and limiting the radiation dose. H. suweonensis is a tree frog endemic to Korea and is on the list of endangered species. Previous studies have employed caliper-based measurements and two-dimensional (2D) X-ray imagi...