Javier Torres López

University of Kansas | KU · Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

The Cuban endemic Escambray Twig Anole, Anolis garridoi (Squamata: Dactyloidae), was known only from a limited geographic range of less than 10 km2 in the vicinity of the type locality at Topes de Collantes, Guamuhaya Massif, central Cuba. The ecology and behavior of this species is poorly known and the number of photographs in life very limited. H...

Autohemorrhaging behavior in Cuban dwarf boas, genus Tropidophis (Serpentes: Tropidophiidae) Autohemorragia en majasitos cubanos del género Tropidophis (Serpentes: Tropidophiidae) Many anti-predation strategies have been described among reptiles. Autohemorrhaging is a less common mechanism that consists of the voluntary expulsion of blood through t...

The occurrence of identical (monozygotic) or non-identical (dizygotic) twins in snakes is a rare phenomenon, reported in less than 1% of more than 3,970 currently recognised species. Even rarer are twins in viviparous snakes, being recorded in only seven species belonging to seven families: Boa constrictor (Boidae), Coronella austriaca (Colubridae)...

Herein we report the first instance of a predation attempt by the Tropical House Gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia) on a Cuban native lizard, the Cuban Blue Anole (Anolis allisoni). We also added an erratum after publication because we overlooking some literature references.

The Giant Trope (Tropidophis melanurus) is by far the largest and stoutest species in the family, it can reach almost double the size of most other relatively large congeners. Individuals around one meter SVL have been reported. Herein we report several very large individuals of both sexes, including new size records.

A review on mammal predation by snakes of the genus Tropidophis, with new records of predation on murid rodents by T. melanurus

The Giant Trope (Tropidophis melanurus) is by far the largest and stoutest species in the family, it can reach almost double the size of most other relatively large congeners. Individuals around one meter SVL have been reported. Herein we report several very large individuals of both sexes, including new size records.

Herein we document several new instances of predation on frogs of the genus Eleutherodactylus in western and central Cuba and provide a review of all predators reported for these frogs in Cuba.

Herein we provide the first dietary records for the Gracile Banded Trope (T. wrighti) and the Yellow Banded Trope (T. semicinctus), and the second dietary record for the Broad-banded Trope (T. feicki). We also provide a review of the prey of West Indian species and comment on possible niche partitioning in Cuban species.

The Cuban Boa (Chilabothrus angulifer) is a top terrestrial predator in Cuba. References to prey species consumed by this boa date to when the first Europeans arrived in the region more than 500 years ago. However, long-term studies on its trophic ecology do not exist. The scarce and scattered records on its feeding habits indicate that this boa pr...

The genus Tropidophis contains 32 species distributed in South America, The Bahamas, and the Greater Antilles, with a major radiation in Cuba. Tropidophis feicki is a small snake (411 mm snout-vent length in males, and 448 mm in females) endemic to forested karstic areas of western and central Cuba. It is typically a nocturnal species but in caves...

New localities and distribution models inform the conservation status of the endangered lizard Anolis guamuhaya (Squamata: Dactyloidae) from central Cuba. Anolis guamuhaya is known from seven localities restricted to the Guamuhaya Massif in central Cuba and is always associated with mountane ecosystems above 300 m a.s.l. Previous evaluations of the...

Snakes of the genus Tropidophis Bibron, 1840 have undergone an adaptive radiation in Cuba, where 16 out of the 27 Antillean species occur (Hedges 2002). With this high diversity, coexistence of four species is somewhat common (Rodríguez et al. 2013). Coexistence has been hypothesized to be possible due to differences in habitat use based on body sh...

Tropidophis feicki Schwartz, 1957 is restricted to densely forested limestone mesic areas in western Cuba (Schwartz & Henderson 1991; Henderson & Powell 2009). This species has been reported from about 20 localities distributed from near Guane, in Pinar del Río Province, to Ciénaga de Zapata, in Matanzas Province Rivalta et al., 2013; GBIF 2020; Fi...

Tropidophis maculatus (Bibron, 1840) is a mesophilic snake inhabiting forest patches and open secondary scrub savannas in western and central Cuba (Schwartz & Henderson 1991; Rodríguez et al. 2013). The only dietary records for this species are the lizards Anolis angusticeps and A. alutaceus, for individuals from Havana city (Collette 1961). Herein...

Amphisbaena barbouri Gans and Alexander, 1962 is a Cuban endemic distributed in the western half of the main island (Rodríguez et al. 2013). This species has been reported at about 15 sites from Pinar del Río to Cienfuegos provinces (Rodríguez et al. 2013; iNaturalist 2020; Fig. 1). On 10 August 2017 we found an adult A. barbouri (173 mm SVL, 14 mm...

The land planarian Bipalium kewense Moseley, 1878 (Tricladida: Geoplanidae) is thought to be native from Southeast Asia, but it has been introduced into about 50 countries, including most part of the Insular Caribbean. It was reported from Cuba in 2016, based on some specimens collected in the Guamuhaya Massif, in the central region of the country....

The Harderian gland is a cephalic structure, widely distributed among vertebrates. In snakes, the Harderian gland is anatomically connected to the vomeronasal organ via the nasolacrimal duct, and in some species can be larger than the eyes. The function of the Harderian gland remains elusive, but it has been proposed to play a role in the productio...

The herpetofauna inhabiting the keys in Cienfuegos Bay in south-central Cuba is virtually unknown. Herein we provide the results of the first rapid inventory performed on Cayo Carenas during the summer of 2016. We found 12 reptilian species in seven families on the key. We also discuss the ecology and the most plausible biogeo-graphic origins for s...

La presente obra ofrece un compendio de métodos para el inventario y el monitoreo de diferentes grupos de la biota terrestre en Cuba. Realizada con la colaboración de 71 especialistas, fue escrita fundamentalmente para estudiantes, biólogos de campo, profesionales y técnicos de la conservación, que desarrollen trabajos relacionados con las ciencias...

The Cuban Lesser Racer (Caraiba andreae) belongs to a monotypic genus endemic to the Cuban Archipelago. The species comprises six subspecies, some of which have restricted distributions. The natural history, particularly the reproductive biology, of some subspecies is virtually unknown. Herein we provide the first data on reproduction and growth of...

The Cuban Boa (C. angulifer) is the only boid snake in Cuba. It is the largest member of the genus, as well as the largest snake in the West Indies (> 400 cm in snout-vent length); as such, it is an iconic species of the Cuban herpetofauna. Although the snake’s natural history is poorly known, several studies describe aspects of its reproductive bi...

The Canasí Trope (Tropidophis celiae) is endemic to Cuba. Thirteen years after its description it was known only from the type locality and only by a single individual. For these reasons and the fact that the type locality was very disturbed, Rodríguez (2012) listed it as Critically Endangered. Despite the description by Torres et al. (2013) of two...

Bat predation by snakes has been repeatedly documented in the literature, particularly for boids and colu-broids. In the West Indies, species of the genus Chilabothrus (Boidae) are the most frequently reported bat predators. However, bats are difficult to capture, and reports of bat-predating snakes smaller than 1 m in total length are very scarce....

The reproductive biology of the Cuban Lesser Racer (Caraiba andreae) is very poorly known, despite the species being among the most common and widely distributed snakes in Cuba. Herein we provide data obtained mostly in captivity on eggs and hatchlings, incubation time, hatching behavior, and courtship behavior.

We present a herpetofaunal inventory of Cayo Romero, Cuba, including natural history comments on each occurring species. Records were obtained by visual encounter surveys along four transects of variable lengths. We recorded six reptile species and no amphibians. This site constitutes a new locality for Aristelliger reyesi, the second known so far...

The genus Ameiva Meyer 1795 comprises 23 species of which 14 are found in Central and South America and 18 occur in the West Indies. These lizards occupy diverse habitats (e.g., grasslands, tropical forests, sandy beaches) but most species appear to prefer open areas. They are ground-dwellers and active diurnal foragers. Cuba harbors only one speci...

On oceanic islands, where carnivorous mammals are frequently absent, the niches of large predators are often filled by raptors and reptiles. Cuban Boas (Chilabothrus angulifer), along with Cuban Crocodiles (Crocodylus rhombifer) and large birds of prey, were the top predators in the Cenozoic terrestrial ecosystems of Cuba until the arrival of Homo...