André Koch

Refining the polytypic species concept of mangrove monitors (Squamata: Varanus indicus group): a new cryptic species from the Talaud Islands, Indonesia, reveals the underestimated diversity of Indo-Australian monitor lizards

The description of a new cryptic member of the mangrove monitor (Varanus indicus) (Daudin, 1802) group from Indonesia presents a refinement of the systematic concept for a polytypic complex of closely related species. The new species is recognised on the basis of morphological and molecular evidence. It is so far known only from the type locality, the remote Talaud Islands, located between Sulawesi, Halmahera and Mindanao at the outer boundary of the Wallacea transition zone between the Oriental and Australian faunal regions. While the descriptions of several sibling and mostly sympatric species within the last 15 years have not affected the range of V. indicus, here, we demonstrate that morphologically distinct island populations represent independent evolutionary lineages and warrant specific recognition as distinct species within an evolving superspecies complex. In addition, some basic natural history information is provided for the new species based on observations at the type locality. These systematic and zoogeographic investigations reveal shortcomings in the current knowledge concerning the diversity and endemism of Indo-Australian monitor lizards, particularly within the Wallacean region.

The young systematists special issue-promoting the scientific work of early career scientists in taxonomy and systematics

The Young Systematists, in German “Junge Systematiker” (JuSys; www.jusys.gfbs-home.de/), represent a non-profit organisation of early career scientists in the fields of taxonomy and systematics that spans across all groups of organisms. The JuSys were founded in 1998 as a working group of the newly founded German Society for Biological Systematics (GfBS) and have since evolved into an active, autonomous group that is also increasingly attempting to influence the political debate around the situation in taxonomic and systematic research (see the open letter of the JuSys on a debate in the German parliament about supporting taxonomic research by Kaiser et al. 2011). They currently have about 300 members of mainly, but not exclusively, Germanspeaking undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdocs. The JuSys are represented by a spokesperson who is elected by the members on a biannual term and represents the needs of the JuSys. The aim of the organisation is promoting and supporting early career scientists in taxonomy and systematics, primarily through a regular exchange of knowledge on methods and scientific questions through meetings and selforganised workshops. It also serves as an important network for the exchange of ideas and important information, such as scholarships, conferences, and job announcements, through a widely used email list server. The GfBS generously gives financial support for the organisation of the JuSys meetings and workshops as well as supporting individual JuSys members with travel grants for the annual GfBS conference. This current, special volume of ODE both highlights and promotes the high quality, diversity, and impact of the research being performed by early career taxonomists and systematists as represented by the JuSys. The idea of a special volume of ODE including only contributions of early career scientists was discussed by some members of the JuSys and approved by the GfBS board in 2011 under the conditions that at least the first author is a member of the JuSys and that the papers otherwise meet all the normal requirements of the journal (including peer review). We, the guest editors of this volume, are also members of the JuSys and assumed our roles voluntarily. Under the guidance of the former chief editor of ODE, Olaf Bininda-Emonds, we were ultimately responsible for all aspects of the special volume, including issuing the call for papers, organising the review process of all submitted papers, and casting the editorial judgements. We want to thank all JuSys authors for trustfully submitting their manuscripts for this special issue and Olaf Bininda-Emonds for his great support in realising this project. “The Young Systematists special issue” of ODE clearly demonstrates that the current generation of early career scientists in taxonomy and systematics has A. Koch (*) Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity, Section of Herpetology, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany e-mail: a.koch@zfmk.de

The Amphibians and Reptiles of Sulawesi: Underestimated Diversity in a Dynamic Environment

Compared with the herpetofauna of the Sunda shelf islands, the diversity of amphibian and reptile genera on Sulawesi is impoverished. The oceanic character of the herpetofauna is the result of the million-year-long geographic isolation of Sulawesi which is separated from surrounding islands by deep ocean trenches. However, despite ambitious investigations by several industrious scientists during the past two centuries, recent fieldwork on Sulawesi and its smaller off-shore islands has revealed that the diversity of amphibians and reptiles has been largely underestimated. Since the last herpetological synopsis was published in 1996, 30 new amphibian and reptile species plus five subspecies have been described or newly recorded for Sulawesi and its satellite islands. In addition, more than 40 species, mainly skinks, have been identified as new to science and await formal description. This represents an increase by more than 35%! In total, about 210+ different species of amphibians and reptiles are currently recognized from the Sulawesi region almost 60% of which are endemics.

Figure 1 In Cyrtodactylus Tahuna Sp. Nov., A New Bent-Toed Gecko (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae) From Sangihe Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Cyrtodactylus tahuna sp. nov. is a new bent-toed gecko we describe herein based on three specimens from Sangihe, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, an island situated in the northern corner of the Wallacea biodiversity hotspot. The new species is a medium sized Cyrtodactylus with a SVL of up to 78.5 mm in adult males and 79.2 mm in females. It is easily distinguished from all but four species (Cyrtodactylus fumosus, C. halmahericus, C. papuensis, and C. tambora) occurring on Sulawesi as well as in the Moluccas and the Lesser Sunda Islands, by possessing precloacal and femoral pores, enlarged precloacal and femoral scales, and lacking transversely enlarged median subcaudal scales. It differs from C. fumosus by the presence of tubercles on the ventrolateral fold, more unkeeled dorsal tubercles (19 versus 4-7) and a pit-like precloacal depression in males (versus groove in males); from C. halmahericus by presence of smaller scales between the enlarged precloacal and femoral scales (versus a continuous series of enlarged precloacofemoral scales) and a continuous series of precloacofemoral pores, as well as the presence of a pit-like precloacal depression in male (versus groove in males), from C. papuensis by possessing a pit-like precloacal depression in males (versus a groove ); and from C. tambora by the presence of tubercles on the dorsal surface of the brachium and the possession of femoral pores. Our contribution, along with several other recent descriptions of bent-toad geckos from Southeast Asia, clearly indicating that the diversity of the genus Cyrtodactylus in Indonesia is still underestimated.

A Coconut-Eating Monitor Lizard? On An Unusual Case Of Frugivory In The Melanistic Sulawesi Water Monitor (Varanus Togianus)

During field work on Selayar Island off the coast of southwest Sulawesi, an adult male specimen of the melanistic Sulawesi water monitor (V. togianus) was found dead on a road south of the village of Benteng (6°7’10.73’’ S, 120°27’59.88’’ E) on 6 June 2006. The specimen had a snout-vent-length of 56.5 cm with the tail measuring 79.3 cm. Its head exhibited clear evidence from a lethal accident with a vehicle, while the remaining body showed no injuries. The specimen was collected to be examined in detail. In order to preserve and deposit it at the Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense (MZB Lac. 5951, field number K208), the venter was opened to remove all stomach contents and prey items. Surprisingly, no prey remains were recovered from the digestive tract, but instead an unidentifiable mass comprised of countless small pieces of a whitish hard substance. After flushing and cleaning, closer examination revealed that these were small pieces of coconut flesh and had filled out the body cavity of the lizard. Although the stomach contents of other voucher specimens of water monitor lizards collected from different localities on Sulawesi have not been investigated, some specimens disgorged the remains of scorpions, chicken, and sea turtle eggs when handled for examination. The coconut pieces of the Selayar specimen, however, represent the only case of frugivorous remains recorded. The Herpetological Bulletin Vol. 139. 2017. P: 41-42