Tag: herpetology

Three new toad species skip the tadpole phase and give birth to live toadlets

Guest blog post from the University of Copenhagen. Read their press release here.

An international team of researchers have identified three new species of enchanting, pustular, tree-dwelling toads from Africa. Their solution for having offspring away from water? Skipping the tadpole phase altogether, and giving birth to live toadlets. The study is published in the open-access scientific journal Vertebrate Zoology.

Face-on photograph of a toad.
One of the newly described toad species, Nectophrynoides luhomeroensis. Photo credit: John Lyarkurwa

Most textbooks will tell you only one story of frog reproduction: Eggs to tadpoles to froglets to adults. But for three newly discovered species found in Tanzania this is not the case. The three new species of frogs belong to an unusual group of African toads in the genus Nectophrynoides — commonly called “tree toads.”

Instead of laying eggs that hatch into tadpoles, the female tree toads carry their offspring inside their bodies and give birth to fully formed, tiny toads. This makes them among the very few amphibians in the world capable of internal fertilization and true live birth.

“It’s common knowledge that frogs grow from tadpoles—it’s one of the classic metamorphosis paradigms in biology. But the nearly 8000 frog species actually have a wide variety of reproductive modes, many of which don’t closely resemble that famous story” says Assoc. Prof. Mark D. Scherz, Curator for Herpetology at the Natural History Museum Denmark, a coauthor on the study.

Side-on photograph of a toad.
Like its relatives, Nectophrynoides luhomeroensis has large skin glands all over its body. Photo credit: Michele Menegon.

Only a handful of frog species from South America and southeast Asia have developed similar strategies making these toads a rare case in the animal kingdom.

“Live-bearing is exceptionally rare among frogs and toads, practiced by less than 1% of frogs species, making these new species exceptionally interesting,” says H. Christoph Liedtke a co-author from the Spanish National Research Council, who has specialized in the evolution of amphibian reproductive modes.

120-year-old frog DNA

Back in 1905, a German researcher, Gustav Tornier, presented to the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin, the discovery of a toad from Tanzania that, astonishingly, gives birth to live young. At the time, it was the only known species of frog in the world to do so.

Side-on photograph of a beige and black toad.
One of the newly described toad species, Nectophrynoides uhehe. Photo credit: Michele Menegon.

The frogs originally found by Tornier are today housed at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, and the research team were able to secure DNA from the original frogs using methods collectively known as ‘museomics’.

“Some of these specimens were collected over 120 years ago. Our museomics work was able to reveal exactly which populations those old specimens belonged to, giving us a lot more confidence for future work on these toads,” says Dr Alice Petzold of the University of Potsdam, who carried out the museomics portion of the study.

“Phylogenetic work from a few years ago had already let us know there was previously unrecognised diversity among these toads. But by travelling to different natural history museums and examining hundreds of preserved toads, I was able to get a better idea of their morphological diversity, so we could describe these new species,” says Christian Thrane from University of Copenhagen and first author on the study.

Side-on photograph of a toad.
One of the newly described toad species, Nectophrynoides uhehe. Photo credit: Michele Menegon.

Protecting endangered species

Beyond its evolutionary interest, the discovery could have important implications for conservation. Many of these live-bearing toads inhabit small, fragmented habitats and are under threat from deforestation, mining, and climate change.

The new species are from the Eastern Arc Mountains (EAM) of Tanzania, an imperiled biodiversity hotspot famed for the many species that are found nowhere else on Earth. These mountains that rise from the plains are cloaked in lush forests, but Dr Michele Menegon, another coauthor on the study who works for a conservation organisation whose work focuses on forest protection, notes how highly fragmented these habitats are and that this is impacting the biodiversity, including the toads that dwell there.

Rainforest stream.
Nectophrynoides species are often found near rainforest streams in the Eastern Arc mountains of Tanzania. Photo credit: Michele Menegon.

His colleague from the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzia raises the same concern.

“The forests where these toads are known to occur are disappearing quickly,” says John V. Lyakurwa, a researcher from the University of Dar es Salaam, who has been studying amphibians in the EAM, including these toads, and a coauthor on the study.

Most of the tree toads are already on the brink of extinction, with one species in this genus, Nectophrynoides asperginis, already extinct in the wild, and another Nectophrynoides poyntoni not observed since its discovery in 2003. The future of these beautiful toads is very uncertain.

Original source

Thrane C, Lyakurwa JV, Liedtke HC, Menegon M, Petzold A, Loader SP, Scherz MD (2025) Museomics and integrative taxonomy reveal three new species of glandular viviparous tree toads (Nectophrynoides) in Tanzania’s Eastern Arc Mountains (Anura: Bufonidae). Vertebrate Zoology 75: 459-485. https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.75.e167008

Hidden in sacred forests: A newly described microendemic gecko from Madagascar

Reserves managed by local communities are essential for the survival of species like P. tsaranoro.

A team of international herpetologists has described a new gecko species that has managed to hide in plain sight among the granite boulders around the western flanks of the Andringitra Massif, in south-eastern Madagascar. “Paragehyra tsaranoro is named after the Tsaranoro valley, where it was first observed,” explains first author Francesco Belluardo from the Department of Bioscience and Territory at the University of Molise (Italy). “It is not only endemic to Madagascar, but also what we describe as a microendemic species—restricted to an extremely small range.”

A close-up photo of a gecko against a blurred natural background.

In this case, P. tsaranoro has only been found in three small forest fragments, all located within approximately 15 kilometers of one another. These patches are remnants of a once-larger and continuous forest that has been destroyed by the widespread deforestation that continues to impact Madagascar’s biodiversity.

A photo of a camouflaged gecko resting on a textured stone surface, surrounded by blurred greenery in the background.

“The findings emphasise the importance of conducting research on small forest fragments, as they are essential for completing the inventory of Malagasy herpetofauna,” the researchers write in their study, which was published in the journal ZooKeys.

Given its very limited range and the ongoing threats to its habitat, the authors recommend listing this new gecko as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Like many endemic species in Madagascar, its existence might be threatened by deforestation, which means destruction and fragmentation of its already limited habitat. The research team, composed also of Angelica Crottini, Javier Lobón-Rovira, Gonçalo M. Rosa, Franco Andreone, Malalatiana Rasoazanany, Costanza Piccoli and Ivo Oliveira Alves call for stronger support for local communities in conserving the species. In fact, most of its known range lies outside Madagascar’s network of protected areas, and the only conservation measures come from reserves managed by local communities—areas created to support sustainable livelihoods and protect local biodiversity.

A photo of a group of people sitting on a rocky ledge, surrounded by vast, dry valleys and dramatic mountains under a cloudy sky.

“Building on previous research in the region, it appears that this landscape is full of hidden biodiversity gems, including other microendemic reptile species found nowhere else in the country. These community-managed reserves act as important refuges for local wildlife,” says Belluardo. “Interestingly, many of these small forest fragments are known locally as ‘Forêts sacrées’, or sacred forests, because they host boulders that serve as ancestral tombs for the local Betsileo people. Protecting this cultural heritage has also helped safeguard local species, suggesting once again that conserving biodiversity often goes hand-in-hand with preserving cultural traditions.”

  • A close-up photo of a gecko resting on a rocky surface.
  • A close-up photo of a textured lizard perched on a tree branch, with a blurred green landscape and mountains in the background.
  • A photo of a small gecko with mottled brown skin blending into a textured brown surface.

Photos by Javier Lobón-Rovira.

Research article:

Belluardo F, Piccoli C, Lobón-Rovira J, Oliveira Alves I, Rasoazanany M, Andreone F, Rosa GM, Crottini A (2025) A new microendemic gecko from the small forest fragments of south-eastern Madagascar (Squamata, Gekkonidae, Paragehyra). ZooKeys 1240: 1-38. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1240.151016

More than it can chew: ambitious adder takes on hare in rare interaction

See footage of the interaction below.

A new paper published in the open-access journal Herpetozoa records a rarely documented event in the world of snake predation: an adult female Common European Adder (Vipera berus) attempting to kill and swallow a young European Hare (Lepus europaeus) nearly ten times its own mass.

Watch below (warning: contains footage some may find distressing):

Aadult female adder, Vipera berus, examining a young hare or leveret, Lepus europaeus and biting its left hind leg. The adder was disturbed by the observer’s presence and escaped into the tall grass. Credit: Klaus Birch.

The incident, observed on the Danish island of Læsø in August 2022, saw the adder, which was likely in a state of nutritional deficit after giving birth, attack a young hare (a leveret) in open grassland. Researchers Henrik Bringsøe, Daniel Jablonski, and Klaus Birch document the interaction in their research paper.

The snake was seen biting and examining the hare’s limbs and head, which is how adders assess whether prey can be swallowed. Despite the adder’s determined efforts, intervention from the observer prevented the snake from attempting ingestion, and the hare succumbed to its injuries shortly after. The research paper’s authors suggest it is likely that, without intervention, the snake would have abandoned its excessively large prey after careful examination anyway.

The adder returned from the grass vegetation to the hare and continued examining it, especially the front legs and the head. Credit: Klaus Birch.

The sheer size difference between predator and prey makes the observation noteworthy. The adder, estimated at 60 cm in length and weighing around 110 grams, was facing a hare of about 30 cm and 1,000 grams. 

Such attempts at oversized prey are not unknown among snakes, but they are poorly represented in scientific literature and may be more common than previously thought. Snakes often abandon prey that proves impossible to consume, but these events are seldom reported.

The authors contextualise this event with similar cases from around the world, including rattlesnakes and other vipers attacking animals too large to swallow. Sometimes, these ambitious meals can even prove fatal for the snakes themselves. The paper suggests that the drive for a high-energy meal, particularly after energetically costly events like giving birth, may push snakes to take such risks.

Snake attempting to eat a rabbit much larger than itself.
Male Crotalus lutosus having killed a young Sylvilagus audubonii (Desert Cottontail) which it tried to swallow, however, it was unable to finish the job. Likely its first meal attempt during the spring. St. George, southwestern Utah, USA, 29 April 2023 at 09:15 h. Photo by Cameron Rognan.

Lead author of the study, Henrik Bringsøe, has a history of recording rare and entirely new snake feeding behaviour, such as snakes disemboweling and feeding on the organs of living toads, and two snakes playing tug-of-war with a limbless amphibian.

Tug of war: two snakes battle for prey in a scientific first

This remarkable observation highlights the need for more documentation of such underreported phenomena in snake ecology, and serves as a reminder that in the wild, even the most experienced predators can be a little too optimistic.

Original source

Bringsøe H, Jablonski D, Birch K (2025) Overly optimistic adder, Vipera berus (Linnaeus, 1758), killing and intending to swallow an oversized young hare, Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778. Herpetozoa 38: 155-159. https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.38.e143850

Follow Herpetozoa on Bluesky and Facebook.

Hidden gems in the mist: Three new frog species uncovered in northern Peru

The team observed signs of habitat degradation, fire damage, and expanding farmland, highlighting the need for conservation efforts.

High in the cloud-wrapped peaks of the Cordillera de Huancabamba, where the Andes dip and twist into isolated ridges, a team of Peruvian scientists has brought three secretive frogs out of obscurity and into the scientific record. The study, led by herpetologist Germán Chávez and published in Evolutionary Systematics, describes Pristimantis chinguelas, P. nunezcortezi, and P. yonke—three new species discovered in the rugged, misty highlands of northwestern Peru.

A photo of majestic rocky mountains partially shrouded in wispy clouds under a clear blue sky.

“They’re small and unassuming,” Chávez says, “but these frogs are powerful reminders of how much we still don’t know about the Andes.”

Between 2021 and 2024, the team carried out a series of tough expeditions, hiking steep trails and combing mossy forests and wet páramo for signs of amphibian life. It was in this setting—both harsh and enchanting—that they encountered the new species.

Each frog tells a different story:

A close-up photo of a brown frog perched on a green leaf.
A close-up photo of a golden-brown frog with intricate patterns, perched on a green leaf against a dark background.

P. chinguelas, discovered on a cliffside of Cerro Chinguelas, has a body dotted with prominent large tubercles on both sides. Its high-pitched “peep” can be heard on humid nights.

A close-up photo of a brown frog perched on a green leaf against a dark background.
A close-up photo of a brown frog with striking golden eyes, perched on a dark, textured surface against a black background.

P. nunezcortezi lives near a cool mountain stream in a regenerating forest. With large black blotches on axillae and groins, it was named in honour of ornithologist Elio Nuñez-Cortez, a conservation trailblazer in the region.

A close-up photo of a textured brown frog resting on a vibrant green leaf against a dark background.
A close-up photo of a reddish-brown frog perched on a green leaf, showcasing its textured skin and large, reflective eye against a dark background.

P. yonke, the smallest of the three, was found nestled in bromeliads at nearly 3,000 meters. Its name nods to “yonque,” a sugarcane spirit consumed by locals to brave the highland chill.

“Exploring this area is more than fieldwork—it’s an immersion into wilderness, culture, and resilience,” says co-author Karen Victoriano-Cigüeñas.

A photo of a person in silhouette illuminating vegetation with their headlamp in a dark, misty outdoor setting.

“Many of these mountain ridges are isolated, with no roads and extreme terrain,” adds Ivan Wong. “The weather shifts within minutes, and the steep cliffs make every step a challenge. It’s no wonder so few scientists have worked here before. But that’s exactly why there’s still so much to find.”

Despite the thrill of discovery, the frogs’ future is uncertain. The team observed signs of habitat degradation, fire damage, and expanding farmland. For now, the species are listed as Data Deficient under IUCN criteria, but the call to action is clear.

“The Cordillera de Huancabamba is not just a remote range—it’s a living archive of biodiversity and cultural legacy,” says co-author Wilmar Aznaran. “And we’ve barely scratched the surface.”

Research article:

Chávez G, Aznaran W, Wong I, Victoriano-Cigüeñas KY, García-Ayachi LA, Valencia-Málaga JD, Ormeño JR, Gulman M, Sumiano-Mejía R, Thompson ME, Catenazzi A (2025) Over the top: Three new species of terrestrial breeding frogs (Anura, Terrarana, Pristimantis) from the highlands of the Cordillera de Huancabamba, northwestern Peru. Evolutionary Systematics 9(1): 145-166. https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.9.148522

All photos by Germán Chávez.

Rare frog rediscovered after 130 years

First described in 1902, Alsodes vittatus had evaded detection since then, despite multiple search efforts.

The frog Alsodes vittatus is an elusive creature – described in 1902, it managed to go undetected for more than a century. Now, after a decade of investigation, a research team has rediscovered it, in its first sighting after 130 years.

A female individual of Alsodes vittatus.

Researchers from the Laboratory of Systematics and Conservation of Herpetozoa (SyCoH) of the University of Concepción, Chile – Dr. Claudio Correa, engineer in renewable natural resources Edvin Riveros Riffo, and biologist Juan Pablo Donoso, have published their extraordinary discovery in the journal ZooKeys.

Alsodes vittatus was scientifically described in 1902 by Rodulfo Amando Philippi, a German naturalist living in Chile. French entomologist Philibert Germain had discovered the species in 1893 at the former Hacienda San Ignacio de Pemehue in La Araucanía Region, Chile, and brought three specimens to Philippi for description. Since then, no one has seen the species again, despite multiple search efforts.

A male individual of Alsodes vittatus.

Between 1995 and 2002, several researchers unsuccessfully tried to find it in the Pemehue area, at the northwestern end of the former estate. In 2015 and 2016, new expeditions led by Claudio Correa and Juan Pablo Donoso managed to locate two populations of Alsodes in the same area, but the individuals they saw lacked A. vittatus’ distinctive white or yellow stripe on the back, suggesting they likely belonged to a different species.

A male individual of Alsodes vittatus.

“The main challenge in locating it was the lack of precision in the description of its type locality,” say the researchers. “In Germain’s time, the Hacienda San Ignacio de Pemehue was an estate of enormous size, and the naturalist did not specify the exact place where he collected the specimens.”

To locate the species, Correa and his team had to reconstruct the route that Germain could have followed within the estate by studying his publications and other historical documents. In 2023 and 2024, Claudio Correa and Edvin Riveros followed the reconstructed route, entering the former estate from the southeastern end. There, they found two populations of A. vittatus in the Lolco and Portales river basins in La Araucanía region, confirming the existence of this enigmatic species after more than a century without records.

The habitat of Alsodes vittatus.

This is an important milestone for South American herpetology and the conservation of biodiversity in the southern cone. Most of the other species in the genus Alsodes are either threatened with extinction or we don’t know enough about them to assess their status, and shedding light on where and how they live is the first step in protecting them.

“The rediscovery of A. vittatus allowed us to obtain, more than a century after its description, the first biological and ecological data on the species. Field observations also indicate that this amphibian faces several significant threats and that it could be considered endangered,” the researchers warn. “In a broader context, this rediscovery demonstrates the limited biological, evolutionary and biogeographic knowledge of the amphibians that inhabit the southern cone of South America, emphasizing the urgency of their study and conservation.”

Research article:

Correa C, Riveros-Riffo E, Donoso JP (2025) Lost for more than a century: the rediscovery of Alsodes vittatus (Philippi, 1902) (Anura, Alsodidae), one of the rarest and most elusive amphibians from Chile. ZooKeys 1230: 195-212. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1230.135523

Photos by Edvin Riveros

Lazy predator: A new species of mountain pit viper from China

Ovophis jenkinsi is dark brownish-grey, with trapezoidal patches on its back. It is endemic to China’s Yingjiang County and is not difficult to find in the wild.

Yunnan, China is a biodiversity hotspot, with many new reptile species discovered in the region in recent years. It is also where a research team from China found a new species of medium-sized venomous snake, known as a mountain pit viper.

Ovophis jenkinsi. Photo by Xianchun Qiu

“We checked specimens of the [snake] genus Ovophis collected by Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Beijing Forestry University in Yingjiang, Yunnan in 2008, and found that these specimens were different from all known similar species. We collected some new specimens from Yingjiang in 2023 and finally determined that this population represents a new species!” the researchers explained.

The new species was named Ovophis jenkinsi in honour of herpetologist Robert “Hank” William Garfield Jenkins AM (September 1947−September 2023), who had “a passion for snakes, especially pit vipers, and helped China, along with many Asian countries, complete snake census, conservation, and management projects,” the team writes in their study, which was published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

A specimen of Ovophis jenkinsi from Yingjiang, Yunnan, China. Photo by Xianchun Qiu

Ovophis jenkinsi is generally dark brownish-grey, but some individuals can be deep orange-brown, and has trapezoidal patches on its back. “It is usually slow-moving but shows great aggression when disturbed,” the researchers explain after observing the snake’s behaviour. “When threatened, these snakes inflate their bodies to make themselves appear larger and strike quickly.”

There are no records to date of humans being bitten by this species.

The only known habitat of Ovophis jenkinsi, the tropical montane rainforest in Yingjiang, Yunnan, China. Photo by Xiaojun Gu

Like many other species, this snake is endemic to China’s Yingjiang County, which means it is currently found only there. “It is not difficult to find this species in the wild, they are active mainly in the autumn and prefer cool, humid, and even rainy nights, probably to avoid competition with other snakes,” the researchers say, suggesting it might feed on small mammals.

“We will be collecting more information about O. jenkinsi in the future, including their appearance, distribution, and habits, to improve our understanding of this species,” the researchers say in conclusion.

Research article:

Qiu X-C, Wang J-Z, Xia Z-Y, Jiang Z-W, Zeng Y, Wang N, Li P-P, Shi J-S (2024) A new mountain pitviper of the genus Ovophis Burger in Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1981 (Serpentes, Viperidae) from Yunnan, China. ZooKeys 1203: 173-187. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1203.119218

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Tug of war: two snakes battle for prey in a scientific first

Watch the incredible footage below.

Two red-tailed coral snakes have been observed competing over a caecilian in the first documented wild case of kleptoparasitism within the family Elapidae.

Kleptoparasitism, or food theft, is a well-documented behaviour in many animal species but is seldom reported among snakes in natural habitats.

Two Micrurus mipartitus snakes tugging prey in opposite directions. Credit: Henrik Bringsøe and Niels Poul Dreyer.

The observation, detailed in a recent study published in the open-access journal Herpetozoa by Henrik Bringsøe and Niels Poul Dreyer, showcases the two Micrurus mipartitus snakes engaging in a tug of war over the limbless amphibian.

Elapid snakes are venomous and among the deadliest serpents in the world. There are more than 400 species comprising a very diverse group of snakes such as mambas, cobras, kraits, taipans, tiger snakes, death adders, sea snakes and coral snakes.

Two snakes competing over prey.
The losing snake biting the body of the winning snake. Credit: Henrik Bringsøe and Niels Poul Dreyer.

The battle occurred in the dense rainforests of Valle del Cauca, western Colombia. Surprisingly, in the tussle, one snake also bit the body of the other. However, the researchers suggest this was likely accidental.

After 17 minutes of observation, the losing coral snake released its bite-hold on the caecilian. The winner then moved away from the losing snake which did not follow.

More footage of the battle. Credit: Henrik Bringsøe and Niels Poul Dreyer.

The study suggests that while such behaviours may be more common in captivity due to controlled environments, their occurrence in nature has been largely underreported, likely due to the elusive nature of these reptiles and the challenges of observing them in their natural habitats.

“Snakes in captivity do that often when only one prey is offered in a terrarium with two or more snakes. But it is rather surprising that it has not been observed more frequently in the wild.”

Henrik Bringsøe, lead author.

This case sheds light on the coral snake interactions with prey species. Caecilians, such as the one in this study, have shown remarkable adaptations such as toxin resistance and increased mucus production.

Henrik Bringsøe previously recorded snake feeding behaviour that was entirely new to science. Check out his guest blog post on the snakes that disembowel and feed on the organs of living toads.

Snake eating the organs of a toad. Credit: Winai Suthanthangjai.

Original source:

Bringsøe H, Dreyer NP (2024) Kleptoparasitism in Micrurus mipartitus (Squamata, Elapidae) competing for the same Caecilia sp. (Gymnophiona, Caeciliidae) in western Colombia. Herpetozoa 37: 77-84. https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.37.e112716

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Same and different: A new species of pit viper from Myanmar

In a collaborative study involving institutions from Singapore, Malaysia, Germany, and the UK, scientists have discovered a new species of pit viper from Myanmar that is both similar and different from its adjacent sister species.

Finding and describing new species can be a tricky endeavor. Scientists typically look for distinctive characters that can differentiate one species from another. However, variation is a continuum that is not always easy to quantify. At one extreme, multiple species can look alike even though they are different species—these are known as cryptic species. At the other extreme, a single species can be highly variable, creating an illusion of being different species. But what happens when you encounter both extremes simultaneously?

Herpetologist Dr Chan Kin Onn (previously at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Singapore, now with the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, USA) led a study describing a new species of pit viper from Myanmar that is both similar and different from its sister species. The discovery is published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

A specimen of Trimeresurus ayeyarwadyensis from the Yangon Region, Myanmar. Photo by Wolfgang Wüster

“Asian pit vipers of the genus Trimeresurus are notoriously difficult to tell apart, because they run the gamut of morphological variation. Some groups contain multiple species that look alike, while others may look very different but are actually the same species,” they say.

A specimen of Trimeresurus ayeyarwadyensis from the Yangon Region, Myanmar. Photo by Wolfgang Wüster

The redtail pit viper (Trimeresurus erythrurus) occurs along the northern coast of Myanmar and is invariably green with no markings on its body. A different species called the mangrove pit viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus) occurs in southern Myanmar. This species typically has distinct dorsal blotches, and incredibly variable dorsal coloration including gray, yellow, brown, and black, but never green. Interestingly, in central Myanmar, sandwiched between the distribution of the redtail pit viper and the mangrove pit viper, a unique population exists that is green with varying degrees of blotchiness, which appears to be a blend between the redtail pit viper and the mangrove pit viper.

“This mysterious population in central Myanmar baffled us and we initially thought that it could be a hybrid population,” the researchers said. In a separate paper, Dr Chan used modern genomic techniques and determined that the population in central Myanmar was actually a distinct species and not a hybrid population.

But this was not the end of the story. The researchers discovered another surprise when they examined the snake’s morphological features: they found that the new species was also highly variable. Certain populations are dark green with distinct blotches, easily distinguishable from its closest relative, the redtail pit viper, which is bright green with no blotches. However, some populations of the new species are bright green with no blotches and look virtually identical to the redtail pit viper.

A specimen of Trimeresurus ayeyarwadyensis from Meinmahla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary, Pyapon District, Ayeyarwady Region in Myanmar. Credit Hla tun
A specimen of Trimeresurus ayeyarwadyensis from Mwe Hauk Village, Ayeyarwady Region in Myanmar. Credit Dong Lin

“This is an interesting phenomenon, where one species is simultaneously similar and different from its closest relative (the redtail pit viper). We think that at some point in the past, the new species may have exchanged genes with the redtail pit viper from the north and the mangrove pit viper from the south,” says Dr Chan.

The new species is called the Ayeyarwady pit viper (Trimeresurus ayeyarwadyensis) in reference to the Ayeyarwady River, which is the largest and one of the most important rivers in Myanmar. The river forms an expansive delta that is bounded by the Pathein River to the west and the Yangon River to the east. These rivers and their associated basins also mark the westernmost and easternmost distribution boundaries of the Ayeyarwady pit viper.

Research article:

Chan KO, Anuar S, Sankar A, Law IT, Law IS, Shivaram R, Christian C, Mulcahy DG, Malhotra A (2023) A new species of pit-viper from the Ayeyarwady and Yangon regions in Myanmar (Viperidae, Trimeresurus). ZooKeys 1186: 221-234. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1186.110422

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Bouldering in south-central Madagascar: a new “rock-climbing” gecko species of the genus Paroedura

Thanks to recently collected samples, it was described and named after its preferred habitat, the boulders surrounded by the last remaining forests at these sites.

Named after its habitat preference, Paroedura manongavato, from the Malagasy words “manonga” (to climb) and “vato” (rock), is a bouldering expert. Part of its “home range” is also very well-known to rock climbers for its massive granitic domes. “Its description represents another step into the crux (in climbing jargon, the most difficult section of a bouldering problem) of resolving the taxonomy of the recently revised P. bastardi group, where the new species belongs, and reaching a total of 25 described species in this genus, all exclusively living in Madagascar and Comoros,” says C. Piccoli from CIBIO – Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Portugal. She and her team just published a paper describing the new gecko.

Thus far, this species has only been found in Anja Reserve and Tsaranoro, both of which are isolated forest patches in the arid south-central plateau of Madagascar. These sites, at a distance of ca. 25 km, have a peculiar conformation, with huge granitic boulders close to rocky cliffs and surrounded by vegetation. The survival of P. manongavato, defined as microendemic for being restricted to a very narrow distributional range, thus depends on the preservation of these small forest patches. Subsequently, the authors proposed an evaluation of its conservation status as Critically Endangered, a category designated for species threatened of extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Its discovery history is long, starting during the Malagasy summer of 2010, when the first evidence of another Paroedura species was found in Anja, together with the recently described P. rennerae in 2021. Distinguishing these two species on the field is a difficult task. Both species have prominent dorsal-enlarged keeled scales and a similar dorsal pattern, although adults of P. manongavato have an overall less spiky appearance, less contrasted dorsal markings, and a smaller body size compared to P. rennerae. The need to collect more samples brought researchers A. Crottini, F. Andreone, and G. M. Rosa to return to Anja in 2014, and collect the future holotype (i.e. the name-bearing and description reference individual) of this new species. Later in 2018, F. Belluardo, J. Lobón-Rovira, and M. Rasoazanany, visited Anja and Tsaranoro again and were able to collect several tissue samples and high-resolution photos of the reptiles living in the area, including the new gecko species. This cumulative data collection was fundamental to advance with its description.

Published in the open access journal ZooKeys, this study highlights the importance of conducting herpetological inventories in Madagascar to improve our understanding of species diversity and progress with species conservation assessments. “The description of this species shows the importance of collaborative efforts when documenting biodiversity, especially for those range-restricted and isolated species at greatest risk of disappearing,” points out the leading author of this study C. Piccoli.

Research article:

Piccoli C, Belluardo F, Lobón-Rovira J, Oliveira Alves I, Rasoazanany M, Andreone F, Rosa GM, Crottini A (2023) Another step through the crux: a new microendemic rock-dwelling Paroedura (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from south-central Madagascar. ZooKeys 1181: 125-154. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1181.108134

Photos by Javier Lobón-Rovira.

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Psychedelic rock gecko among dozens of species in need of further conservation protection in Vietnam

Researchers recommend IUCN CPSG’s One Plan Approach to Conservation measures, which include both habitat conservation and increasing the number of threatened species in breeding stations and zoos. 

Endangered psychedelic rock gecko (Cnemaspis psychedelica)
Photo by Thomas Ziegler. Licence: CC-BY.

Further conservation measures are required to protect Vietnamese reptiles, such as the psychedelic rock gecko (Cnemaspis psychedelica), from habitat loss and overharvesting, concludes a new report, published in the open-access scientific journal Nature Conservation.

Having identified areas of high reptile diversity and large numbers of endangered species, the study provides a list of the 50 most threatened species as a guide for further research and conservation action in Vietnam. 

The study, based on the bachelor thesis of Lilli Stenger (University of Cologne, Germany), recommends IUCN CPSG’s One Plan Approach to Conservation measures, which, next to improved habitat conservation, also involves increasing the number of threatened species in breeding stations and zoos to maintain populations suitable for restocking. 

Co-authors of the report are Anke Große Hovest (University of Cologne, Germany), Truong Quang Nguyen (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology), Cuong The Pham, (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology), Anna Rauhaus (Cologne Zoo, Germany), Minh Duc Le (Vietnam National University), Dennis Rödder (Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Germany) and Thomas Ziegler (University of Cologne and Cologne Zoo, Germany).

“Modern zoos, as well as local facilities, can play a crucial role in not only conducting or financially supporting in situ conservation projects, that is to say in nature, but also by protecting species from extinction through maintaining ex situ assurance colonies to reinforce in situ conservation programs,”

said Prof. Dr. Thomas Ziegler, Vietnam conservation team member and coordinator from Cologne Zoo, Germany.
Endangered Truong Son pit viper or Quang Binh pit viper (Trimeresurus truongsonensis).
Photo by Thomas Ziegler. Licence: CC-BY.

The scientists identified 484 reptile species known to Vietnam, aiming to provide a baseline to authorities, conservationists, rescue centers, and zoos, so they can follow up with appropriate conservation measures for endangered species. They note that the number is likely to go up, as the country is regarded as a top biodiversity hotspot, and the rate of new reptile species discoveries remains high.

According to the IUCN Red List, 74 of the identified species are considered threatened with extinction, including 34 endemic species. For more than half of Vietnam’s endemic reptiles (85 of 159), the IUCN Red List status is either missing or outdated, and further research is imperative for these species, the researchers say.

Vietnam has a high level of reptile diversity and an outstanding number of endemic species. The species richness maps in the study revealed the Central Annamites in central Vietnam to harbor the highest endemic species diversity (32 species), which highlights it as a site of particular importance for reptile conservation. Alarmingly, a protected area analysis showed that 53 of the 159 endemic species (33.2%) including 17 threatened species, have been recorded exclusively from unprotected areas, such as the Psychedelic Rock Gecko.

The Critically Endangered Annam pond turtle (Mauremys annamensis) is one of the most endangered turtle species in Vietnam and in the world. It is not known from any protected area. Despite likely being extinct in the wild,  ex situ conservation programs have been implemented in time with a high number of individuals being kept and bred in zoos and stations and now ready for restocking actions.
Photo by Thomas Ziegler. Licence: CC-BY.

In General, Vietnam is considered a country with high conservation priority due to habitat loss and overharvesting for trade, traditional medicine and food.

Globally, reptiles are considered a group of special conservation con­cern, as they play an important role in almost all ecosystems and often have relatively small distri­bution ranges, making them especially vulnerable to human threats.

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Original source:

Stenger L, Große Hovest A, Nguyen TQ, Pham CT, Rauhaus A, Le MD, Rödder D, Ziegler T (2023) Assessment of the threat status of reptile species from Vietnam – Implementation of the One Plan Approach to Conservation. Nature Conservation 53: 183 221. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.53.106923

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