Jeroen Speybroeck

Research Institute for Nature and Forest | INBO · Ecosystem Diversity

The last species list of the European herpetofauna was published by Speybroeck, Beukema and Crochet (2010). In the meantime, ongoing research led to numerous taxonomic changes, including the discovery of new species-level lineages as well as reclassifications at genus level, requiring significant changes to this list. As of 2019, a new Taxonomic Co...

While we have some understanding of what makes a good breeding pond for newts, our knowledge is less comprehensive when it comes to the terrestrial habitat. Quality and composition of the landscape play a pivotal role in determining a species' potential to thrive. To gain a better understanding of how the landscape influences the genetic diversity...

MtDNA barcoding is regularly applied to determine the provenance of invasive species. Variation in spatial genetic structuring across a species’ range, typically high within glacial refugia and low in postglacially colonized areas, influences the precision of this approach. The palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus) has been introduced north of its...

Understanding wildlife responses to novel threats is vital in counteracting biodiversity loss. The emerging pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) causes dramatic declines in European salamander populations, and is considered an imminent threat to global amphibian biodiversity. However, real-life disease outcomes remain largely uncharact...

The African clawed frog Xenopus laevis, native to Sub-Saharan Africa, has been introduced to natural systems around the globe from escapes or releases linked to the pet trade and from biomedical laboratories that use animals as model organisms in research. This largely aquatic species can adapt to a wide range of aquatic habitats (rivers, streams a...

International and regional legislations require authorities to report regularly on the state of species of conservation concern in their region or country (e.g., the EU Birds and Habitats Directives). Monitoring schemes for species across a variety of taxonomic groups are being set up to estimate abundance trends. In Flanders (northern Belgium), un...

Maintaining habitat connectivity is crucial for maintaining genetic diversity and reducing the risk of inbreeding depression in numerous species. Human-modified habitats pose a threat to population persistence, particularly for amphibians that require both aquatic and terrestrial habitats and often exhibit low dispersal capacity. In this study, we...

https://www.gbif.org/dataset/2c38cf8a-f981-4dfb-bc9d-dd2b6fc792ed Waarnemingen.be / observations.be - List of species observed in Belgium is a species checklist dataset published by Natuurpunt and Natagora. Waarnemingen.be (in Dutch) and observation.be (in French) are the two local Belgian subsites of the global observation.org website. The checkl...

In dit rapport geven we voor negen taxonomische groepen (vaatplanten, amfibieën en reptielen, vissen, broedvogels, overwinterende watervogels, zoogdieren, dagvlinders, libellen en sprinkhanen en krekels) een geactualiseerde lijst van soorten die belangrijk zijn voor het provinciale natuurbehoud, -beheer en/of -beleid in Antwerpen. De gegevensbronne...

In dit rapport geven we voor negen taxonomische groepen (vaatplanten, amfibieën en reptielen, vissen, broedvogels, overwinterende watervogels, zoogdieren, dagvlinders, libellen en sprinkhanen en krekels) een geactualiseerde lijst van soorten die belangrijk zijn voor het provinciale natuurbehoud, -beheer en/of -beleid in Vlaams-Brabant. De gegevensb...

In dit rapport, dat samen met de vijf provinciale rapporten één geheel vormt, beschrijven we de procedure voor de afbakening van provinciaal prioritaire soorten, maar ook van andere soorten die voor het provinciale natuurbehoud en/of -beleid van belang kunnen zijn. Naast provinciaal prioritaire soorten sensu Bauwens et al. (2001), waarbij de soorte...

In dit rapport geven we voor negen taxonomische groepen (vaatplanten, amfibieën en reptielen, vissen, broedvogels, overwinterende watervogels, zoogdieren, dagvlinders, libellen en sprinkhanen en krekels) een geactualiseerde lijst van soorten die belangrijk zijn voor het provinciale natuurbehoud, -beheer en/of -beleid in West-Vlaanderen. De gegevens...

In dit rapport geven we voor negen taxonomische groepen (vaatplanten, amfibieën en reptielen, vissen, broedvogels, overwinterende watervogels, zoogdieren, dagvlinders, libellen en sprinkhanen en krekels) een geactualiseerde lijst van soorten die belangrijk zijn voor het provinciale natuurbehoud, -beheer en/of -beleid in Limburg. De gegevensbronnen...

In dit rapport geven we voor negen taxonomische groepen (vaatplanten, amfibieën en reptielen, vissen, broedvogels, overwinterende watervogels, zoogdieren, dagvlinders, libellen en sprinkhanen en krekels) een geactualiseerde lijst van soorten die belangrijk zijn voor het provinciale natuurbehoud, -beheer en/of -beleid in Oost-Vlaanderen. De gegevens...

Sex-related differences in mortality are widespread in the animal kingdom. Although studies have shown that sex determination systems might drive lifespan evolution, sex chromosome influences on aging rates have not been investigated so far, likely due to an apparent lack of demographic data from clades including both XY (with heterogametic males)...

Door het verlies aan habitat kwam de vroedmeesterpad in Vlaanderen in een zeer precaire situatie terecht. In 2017 werd een Soortenbeschermingsprogramma (SBP) opgesteld ter ondersteuning van de soort. In dit plan worden allerlei maatregelen voorgesteld, waaronder het opzetten van een kweekprogramma als laatste redmiddel om bestaande populaties te ve...

We report on an established population of the beauty rat snake, Elaphe taeniura Cope, 1861, a large, oviparous colubrid native to Southeastern Asia, in Belgium. The snakes have invaded a railroad system next to a city in the northeast of the country. Sightings exist from an area of 208 km², yet the core distribution is estimated to be no more than...

As part of the Flemish common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) species protection programme, the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) runs a breeding project. Goals are to sustain existing populations (through supplementation) and to found new populations (through (re)introduction). Ex situ breeding is conducted in several breeding...

ContextTerrestrial landscapes surrounding aquatic habitat influence the persistence of amphibian spatially structured populations (SSPs) via their crucial role in providing estivation and overwintering sites, facilitating or hampering dispersal and colonisation, and consequently the maintenance or loss of genetic diversity.Objectives To highlight t...

We report on an established population of the beauty rat snake, Elaphe taeniura Cope, 1861, a large, oviparous colubrid native to Southeastern Asia, in Belgium. The snakes have invaded a railroad system next to a city in the northeast of the country. Our report is based on validated citizen science observations, supplemented with directed surveys....

While epizootics increasingly affect wildlife, it remains poorly understood how the environment shapes most host-pathogen systems. Here, we employ a three-step framework to study microclimate influence on ectotherm host thermal behaviour, focusing on amphibian chytridiomycosis in fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) infected with the fungal pat...

Loss and degradation of its habitat have led the Common Midwife Toad (Alytes obstetricans) in Flanders, Belgium, into a very precarious state. A Species Protection Program was launched in 2017. This is an official policy document with binding commitments. It proposes all kinds of measures, including the establishment of a breeding program as a last...

While epizootics increasingly affect wildlife, it remains poorly understood how the environment shapes most host-pathogen systems. Here, we employ a three-step framework to study microclimate influence on ectotherm host thermal behaviour, focusing on amphibian chytridiomycosis in fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) infected with the fungal pat...

Monthly monitoring data between 2013 and 2018 are used to investigate and document the recovery of the hyperbenthic community in the Sea Scheldt, the Belgian part of the Scheldt estuary after a long-lasting state of hypoxia, and to identify ecological drivers of the current community. Hyperbenthos was present in all studied salinity zones and was t...

Available research is inconclusive on how circatidal habitat use and cross-shore distribution of aquatic epibenthic predators may affect the vertical zonation of infauna in muddy, soft-bottom substrates in estuaries. We placed fyke traps at different heights on the intertidal mudflat to assess the circatidal density of epibenthic predators. Infauna...

By realising the conservation objectives for European habitats it is assumed that a large number of species will benefit from these measures as well. In this analysis, we test this hypothesis for 142 species of conservation priority in Flanders. To do so, we use the potential habitat approach, i.e. mechanistic models that translate the ecological p...

Each Member State needs to report every 6 years (2013-2019, 2025…) to the European Commission (EC) about the conservation status of habitats and species present in each biogeographical region. This document presents the reporting files for the different herpetofauna species (amphibians, reptiles) for the period 2013-2018 of the species present in F...

Each Member State needs to report every 6 years (2013-2019, 2025…) to the European Commission (EC) about the conservation status of habitats and species present in each biogeographical region. This document presents the applied method and results for the period 2013-2018 of the species present in Flanders (northern Belgium). Flanders is nearly comp...

Red Lists estimate the extinction risk of species at global or regional levels and areimportant instruments in conservation policies. Global Red List assessments are readilyavailable via the IUCN website (https://www.iucnredlist.org) and are regularly updated by(taxonomic) experts. Regional Red Lists, however, are not always easy to find and oftenu...

Mudflats and shallow water areas have been put forward as important ecotopes in the LangeTermijnVisie 2030 (LTV) and the Ontwikkelingsschets 2010 voor het Schelde-estuarium (OS) by the VNSC (Flemish-Dutch Scheldt committee). The OS states that within the subtidal area, low dynamic shallow water zones are of highest value to macro- and hyperbenthos,...

A recent paper has suggested that NA2RE, the New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe, does not provide a reliable basis for ecological niche modelling studies due to errors flagging introductions and missing data for the native range of the pond turtle genus Emys. We point out that the original NA2RE paper already acknowledged that it was no...

Solid population studies depend on reliable capture-mark-recapture (CMR) methodology. The available methods for such studies on amphibians are often invasive, unsuitable for long-term studies, time-consuming and/ or expensive. We present a new software tool, connected to a MS Access database, ManderMatcher, for CMR study of fire salamanders (Salama...

Nature policy and management often uses threatened and regionally important species as tools or goals. Knowledge about their ecology and distribution is, therefore, crucial to scientifically underpin conservation measures. Apart from known observations, sites where the focal species is not (yet) observed or sites where potentially suitable ecologic...

En 2012, un nouveau champignon, le Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), a été découvert aux Pays-Bas. Ce champignon provoque chez les amphibiens une infection mortelle de la peau (chytridiomycose) et a conduit la population hollandaise de salamandres au bord de l’extinction. En 2016, 99,9% de la population de salamandres avait disparu. En 2013...

National Actionplan Belgium (2017 - 2022) Batrachocytrium salamandrivorans

Update of standard list of Dutch common names of the European amphibians and reptiles Advances in taxonomic insights of the European amphibians and reptiles have necessitated a revision of the standard list of Dutch names published in 2005. The new list includes the species in the Field guide to the amphibians and reptiles of Britain and Europe by...

Beukema et al. Introduce the genus salamandra comprising the well-known fire salamanders.

Emerging fungal diseases can drive amphibian species to local extinction. During 2010-2016, we examined 1,921 urodeles in 3 European countries. Presence of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans at new locations and in urodeles of different species expands the known geographic and host range of the fungus and underpins its imminent th...

Field sites in Europe at which Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans fungus was and was not detected in amphibians, 2010–2016.

In 2014, we compiled the first potentially suitable habitat maps for species of European concern and of Flemish priority species based solely on the Flemish Biological Valuation Map (BWK). In a second phase, we used four methods to refine these maps: 1) mechanistic modelling, 2) correlative modelling, 3) downscaling correlative models to a higher r...

At the request of the Agency for Nature and Forests (ANB), we investigated the feasibility of grouping 145 European and Flemish priority species into so called multispecies action or recovery plans. As a starting point, we used the classification into landscape and ecological species profiles of Van Uytvanck & Goethals (2014). To add species to the...

Die Arbeit faßt 1580 Funddaten von reptilien und Amphibien auf der insel Samos (Griechenland) aus den letzten Jahren (1993-2012) zusammen. Alle Funde wurden auf einem 1 km x 1 km raster verortet, wobei 40 % der Zellen (261 von insgesamt 648) zumindest eine Beobachtung einer Art aufwiesen. Auf dieser Datengrundlage wurden Verbreitungsmuster und ökol...

A precise knowledge of the spatial distribution of taxa is essential for decision-making processes in land management and biodiversity conservation, both for present and under future global change scenarios. This is a key base for several scientific disciplines (e.g. macro-ecology, biogeography, evolutionary biology, spatial planning, or environmen...

The use of static indicator species, in which species are expected to have a similar sensitivity or tolerance to either natural or human-induced stressors, does not account for possible shifts in tolerance along natural environmental gradients and between biogeographic regions. Their indicative value may therefore be considered at least questionabl...

For the first time, the freshwater oligochaete species Bratislavia dadayi (Michaelsen, 1905) is recorded in Europe. The species was found at three subtidal stations in the Schelde estuary in Belgium, where it was probably introduced from the Americas. We provide an overview of the species’ nomenclature, diagnostics, distribution, and ecology. Brati...

Nowadays, beach nourishment is widely considered as a better alternative compared to the construction of hard structures to protect a sandy coast against detrimental erosive effects, both from an ecological and an engineering perspective. The rare studies conducted on the ecological impact of beach nourishment are short-term, post hoc monitoring in...

Here we report on the combined observations of 10 years of opportunistic field work conducted during short visits to Sardinia, from 1999 to 2012. A total amount of 433 distribution records of 27 species were collected from 187 different localities covering 52 unique UTM squares. We report species presence in 157 new UTM squares and additionally rec...

A brief summary of the few literature records and personal observations on nocturnal activity in Natrix tessellata is presented. Generally, nocturnal activity is widespread in dice snakes and relates to warmer days in temperate climate or occurs more commonly in the southern, warmer areas of the dice snake's range.