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A revision of the bevelnosed boas (Candoia carinata complex) (Reptilia: Serpentes)
... McDowell (1979) provided a detailed analysis of the biology, biogeography, and systematics of the group, recognizing the species C. bibroni, C. carinata, and C. aspera, though noting substantial regional variation in meristic characters. Smith et al. (2001) used morphological and squamation characters to further revise the carinata complex, recognizing two additional species (C. paulsoni and C. superciliosa) and 10 subspecies. ...
... Lectotype ZFMK 35503 from an unknown locality, though restricted to Amboina, Indonesia (McDowell, 1979;Böhme et al., 1998). Lectotype of Boa variegata (¼ Candoia carinata fide Bauer and Wahlgren, 2001) ZIUU 313, likely from the Moluccas (Bauer and Wahlgren, 2001;Smith et al., 2001). ...
... Distribution. A species found on islands of eastern Indonesia to New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago (In den Bosch, 1985;Smith et al., 2001). ...
The booid snakes (superfamily Booidea) are a near–circumglobally distributed group of macrostoman alethinophidian squamates, and several lineages are of significant conservation concern. A number of taxonomic changes have occurred among the superfamily Booidea over the last decade, including the resurrection and description of new families, elevation of a genus, elevation of 13 species, and the discovery of a new species. Here, we aim to synthesize existing knowledge of booid diversity, systematics, and conservation status. We provide a comprehensive checklist of all 66 species and 33 subspecies of booid snakes recognized herein, distributed among 14 genera and six families. For each species and subspecies, we evaluate taxonomy, distribution, type specimens, and conservation status.
... BPBM 16511. First record for island group (Smith et al. 2001). EAST CAPE: Boiaboiawaga Island, 10.2110ºS, 150.9044ºE, 1 m asl. 25 May 2002. ...
... BPBM 16512. First record for island (Smith et al. 2001 (Menzies and Tyler 1977). ...
... Our results, although limited, show genetic differentiation of the samples from these two areas, which were placed in separate BINs. Our large sample of C. superciliosa confirms the distinctiveness and uniformity of the Palau Candoia population [55], which was previously considered part of C. carinata but later recognized as a separate species [57]. ...
Natural history collections are essential to a wide variety of studies in biology because they maintain large collections of specimens and associated data, including genetic material (e.g., tissues) for DNA sequence data, yet they are currently under-funded and collection staff have high workloads. With the advent of aggregate databases and advances in sequencing technologies, there is an increased demand on collection staff for access to tissue samples and associated data. Scientists are rapidly developing large DNA barcode libraries, DNA sequences of specific genes for species across the tree of life, in order to document and conserve biodiversity. In doing so, mistakes are made. For instance, inconsistent taxonomic information is commonly taken from different lending institutions and deposited in data repositories, such as the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD) and GenBank, despite explicit disclaimers regarding the need for taxonomic verification by the lending institutions. Such errors can have profound effects on subsequent research based on these mis-labelled sequences in data repositories. Here, we present the production of a large DNA barcode library of reptiles from the National Museum of Natural History tissue holdings. The library contains 2,758 sequences (2,205 COI and 553 16S ) from 2260 specimens (four crocodilians, 37 turtles, and 2,219 lizards, including snakes), representing 583 named species, from 52 countries. In generating this library, we noticed several common mistakes made by scientists depositing DNA barcode data in public repositories (e.g., BOLD and GenBank). Our goal is to raise awareness of these concerns and offer advice to avoid such mistakes in the future to maintain accurate DNA barcode libraries to properly document Earth’s biodiversity.
... The latter taxon is quite possibly two separate species. Half of all blindsnakes in Wallacea belong to the genus Ramphotyphlops, with five species on south to the Loyalty Islands, and as far east as Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Tokelau (Smith et al. 2001). Two New Guinean species extend their ranges eastwards to the Talaud and Sangihe Islands north of Sulawesi. ...
... Candoia bibroni (Dum é ril & Bibron, 1844), Pacifi c boa. dis tri bu tion in new caledonian region : This snake has been recorded from Ouv é a, Lifou, and Mar é (Bauer and Sadlier 2000) and is the only rep tile pre vi ously reported in the lit er a ture from Tiga (Oliva and Talon 1996). It is oth er wise widely dis tributed from the east ern Sol o mon Islands to Amer i can Samoa (Smith et al. 2001). ma te ri al : Procoelous trunk ver te brae ( n = 17) ( Figures 11 A, D ). ...
Archaeological excavations on Tiga provide the first vouchered herpetological records for this small island between Lifou and Maré in the Loyalty Islands. Eighty-three skeletal elements from four sites yielded material assignable to skinks (Emoia loyaltiensis, Lioscincus nigrofasciolatus), geckos (Bavayia crass i-collis, B. sp., Gehyra georgpotthasti, Nactus pelagicus), and a boid snake (Candoia bihroni) all known from elsewhere in the Loyalties, as well as undetermined material consistent with these and other Loyalties lizards. Diagnostic features of geckos versus skinks for elements commonly recovered from archaeological sites and from owl pellets are discussed. Gehyra georgpotthasti has a limited distribution in the Loyalties and its occurrence on Tiga clarifies its range. The boid snake is the only reptile likely to have been harvested by human inhabitants of Tiga. The presence of gekkonid geckos in pre-European times is confirmed and contrasts with the situation of Grande Terre fossil sites, where only diplodactylid geckos have been recovered. Although it is anticipated that all species recovered from archaeological sites are still present on the island, a modern herpetofaunal survey is needed.
... superciliosa and C. s. crombiei) that had no previously published sequences. The Melanesian/ Micronesian C. bibroni was recovered as basal to the rest of the radiation (Austin, 2000), with the highly similar Palauan C. superciliosa and C. s. crombiei sister to C. carinata ( Smith et al., 2001). We found support (BS = 72) for the distinction between the widespread C. carinata and the geographically isolated Palauan species. ...
... Later, the Fifth Archbold Expedition collected some herpetological specimens on both Rossel and Sudest in late 1956 (Brass, 1959). Many of these specimens were subsequently described as new species by McDowell (1969), Tyler (1968), and Zweifel (1958Zweifel ( , 1963Zweifel ( , 1972Zweifel ( , 2000, or included within broader taxonomic treatments (McDowell, 1967(McDowell, , 1972(McDowell, , 1979(McDowell, , 1984Greer and Parker, 1974;Brown, 1991;Smith et al., 2001). Nonetheless, these collections were incidental to sustained efforts focused on plants and mammals and were not extensive. ...
We studied for the first time a collection of 377 snakes assembled by Benoît Mys and Jan Swerts in Papua New Guinea (PNG) during 1982–85. The collection, stored at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), contains specimens collected in rapid assessments of 45 mainland and island localities in Madang, East Sepik, West Sepik, and Morobe Provinces, and 8 localities from West New Britain and Manus Provinces. Thirty-three species from six families (Acrochordidae, Boidae, Colubridae, Elapidae, Pythonidae, Typhlopidae) were present in the collection, and we report a number of new morphological observations from unidentified Dendrelaphis, Tropidonophis, and Aspidomorphus, as well as from Stegonotus cf. parvus. We report 31 new island records for snakes. Combined with island distributional information extracted from literature and museum collections, we provide an updated overview of snake species occurrences on the islands off the north coast of PNG. The substantial contribution of a 30-yr-old museum collection to current knowledge of the snake fauna of northern PNG illustrates how poorly studied this region is and the extent of herpetofaunal work still required to uncover true snake diversity in PNG.
The fourth edition of the textbook Herpetology covers the basic biology of amphibians and reptiles, with updates in nearly every conceptual area. Not only does it serve as a solid foundation for modern herpetology courses, but it is also relevant to courses in ecology, behavior, evolution, systematics, and morphology. Examples taken from amphibians and reptiles throughout the world make this book a useful herpetology textbook in several countries. Naturalists, amateur herpetologists, herpetoculturists, zoo professionals, and many others will find this book readable and full of relevant natural history and distributional information. Amphibians and reptiles have assumed a central role in research because of the diversity of ecological, physiological, morphological, behavioral, and evolutionary patterns they exhibit. This fully revised edition brings the latest research to the reader, ranging over topics in evolution, reproduction, behavior and more, allowing students and professionals to keep current with a quickly moving field.
A catalogue of the amphibian and reptile type specimens in the collections of the Papua New Guinea National Museum and University of Papua New Guinea is provided, with collection data obtained from the registers of each collection, and comments on the current condition and whereabouts of the type specimens and discrepancies between data from different sources. A list of missing type specimens is appended. Primary type specimens of 43 species and secondary type specimens for 89 species are held in these collections. Litoria hunti Richards, Oliver, Dahl & Tjaturadi, 2006 is emended to Litoria huntorum, in accordance with the Code of Zoological Nomenclature.
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