Browsing by Subject "amphibians"
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Item Amphibian and Reptile Trade in Texas: Current Status and Trends(2010-10-12) Prestridge, Heather L.The non-game wildlife trade poses a risk to our natural landscape, natural heritage, economy, and security. Specifically, the trade in non-game reptiles and amphibians exploits native populations, and is likely not sustainable for many species. Exotic amphibian and reptile species pose risk of invasion and directly or indirectly alter the native landscape. The extent of non-game amphibian and reptile trade is not fully understood and is poorly documented. To quantitatively describe the trade in Texas, I solicited data from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's (TPWD) non-game dealer permits. I surveyed amphibian and reptile pet owners, breeders, Internet sites, pet shops, and meat and seafood establishments by visits, electronic surveys, and observations. The trade in exotic species of amphibians and reptiles in the state of Texas was found to be popular in two ways; the importation of wildlife products and sale of live specimens for pets. Persisting in the pet trade were species known to be exotic, a problem made worse by lack of regulations governing the import, export, and keeping of exotic species. Trade in wild collected native species was primarily for export to foreign countries. Collection of turtles from the wild in Texas was heavy until 2008, when TPWD restricted collection to private waters. Collection of other species from the wild was minimal, with the exception of the Western Diamond-backed Rattlsnake (Crotalus atrox) for rattlesnake roundups. Native species were found to exist in the pet trade, but primarily as genetic color variants that do not occur in the wild, an indication that captive breeding may be relieving pressures on wild caught specimens. Minor changes in reporting requirements and permitting systems at the state and federal level would improve the management of exotic and native amphibians and reptiles that persist in the trade. Changes that include standardized taxonomic reporting requirements at state and federal level, streamlined permitting system for individuals wishing to collect from the wild in Texas, bag limits and seasons for wild collection, increased reporting requirements for owners of exotics, and enforcement of reporting errors would aid in management of exotic and native amphibians and reptiles in the trade.Item Environmental correlates to amphibian and reptile diversity in Costa Rica(2009-05-15) Laurencio, David EdelmanThe study of species diversity patterns and their causes remains a central theme of ecology. Work conducted over the last few decades has shown that both historical and ecological factors are important in determining species diversity patterns. Additionally, different causal mechanisms are important at different spatial and temporal scales. At the regional scale, species diversity patterns can best be studied in terms of three diversity components (alpha, beta and gamma). This study used the amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica to examine these species diversity components at the regional scale. To accomplish this, existing species lists were compiled from the literature. Additionally, three herpetofaunal surveys were conducted at under surveyed sites to fill knowledge gaps. A survey of Parque Nacional Carara, a transitional zone site on Costa Rica?s central Pacific coast, gave evidence of a rich herpetofauna, containing species from both the dry tropical forest to the north and the wet lowland forest to the south. Survey results show that Carara?s herpetofaunal assemblage is more similar to that of the wet forest than the dry forest, and suggest many species from both assemblages reach their range limit at or near the park. Surveys of four sites in the eastern ?rea de Conservaci?n Guanacaste showed rich herpetofaunal diversity and validated the newly purchased Rinc?n Rainforest as an important conservation area. A survey of Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco provided a preliminary list of amphibian and reptile species of the lower Nicoya Peninsula and highlighted the importance of Laguna Balsitas to the local amphibian fauna. A comparison of amphibian and reptile alpha diversity among 17 sites throughout Costa Rica showed highest alpha amphibian diversity in the lowland rainforests of the Pacific versant and highest reptile alpha diversity in lowland rainforests of the Atlantic versant. An analysis of beta diversity produced dendrograms showing sites within lowland ecoregions being most similar. A Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) of environmental variables showed two climate gradients, an elevation/temperature gradient and a sun/rain gradient, to be important in determining species diversity patterns for both amphibians and reptiles in Costa Rica.Item Pesticides and amphibian declines in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California(Texas A&M University, 2007-04-25) Cowman, Deborah FayPacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla) hatchlings were translocated and placed in cages in sites (~2,200 m elevation) located in Lassen, Yosemite, and Sequoia National Parks. DDE was found in 97% of Yosemite National Park samples, 84% in Sequoia National Park samples, and 15% of Lassen Volcanic National Park samples in 2001 and 2002. Total endosulfans were detected in 3% of Sequoia samples, 9% of Lassen samples and 24% of Yosemite samples. Both pesticides were detected in tadpoles and metamorphs raised at the three parks regardless of origin. Because the tadpoles were translocated post hatching, this finding indicates that the pesticides, particularly DDE, were accumulated at the site, instead of through deposition in the egg mass. Liver cells from 108 newly metamorphosed frogs were examined with flow cytometry (FCM) techniques for evaluation of chromosome breakage as measured by the half-peak coefficient of variation (HPCV) of the G1 peak. Regardless of origin, experimental groups raised at Lassen, the reference site, had significantly less chromosomal breakage (p=0.04) than metamorphs raised at the other two parks. This is the first documented evidence of DNA damage in juvenile frogs in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Cholinesterase (ChE) was measured in tadpoles collected at 28 days and in juvenile frogs collected upon metamorphosis. In 2001, ChE activity was significantly higher in animals raised at Lassen (reference site), than at the other two parks, indicating less exposure to cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticides. This trend was not observed in 2002, although Sequoia ChE values were consistently lower than the other two parks. Temperatures were significantly different among the three parks for both years (p<0.0001) and lower temperatures may correlate with lower ChE levels. Survivorship to metamorphosis, days to metamorphosis, snout-vent lengths (SVL), and malformations were evaluated. Animals raised in Sequoia had shorter SVLs, took longer to metamorphose, and had lower survivorship to metamorphosis than in the other two parks (p<0.0001). Effects noted in P. regilla may be magnified in long lived ranid species. These findings may be important in evaluating the overall impact of aerially transported pesticides on declining frog populations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.