Mario R. Cabrera

Categorización del estado de conservación de los anfibios de la República Argentina

Through the participation of nine specialists from different institutions from all over Argentina and after more than a decade from the first Red List of threatened herpetofauna proposed by Asociacion Herpetologica Argentina in 2000, we assessed the conservation status of the argentine Testudines taxa, adding the new taxonomic, biological and ecological knowledge progresses made since then as well as applying methodological changes in the former assessment. As a result from the 14 turtles taxa recognized as present in Argentina, nine were included in the actual Red List under some degree of risk (three Critically Endangered, three Endangered, three Vulnerable). From the remaining ones, three were classified as Insufficiently Known and two as Not Threatened. In the classification of the three marine turtles that are frequently found in argentine coasts we adopted the IUCN (2011) Red List criteria. In relation with the former categorization, we included a new species registered in Argentina (Phrynops geoffranus, Insufficiently Known), added two synonymies, increased from one to three the species within

Effect of Incubation Temperature on Incubation Period, Sex Ratio, Hatching Success, and Survivorship in Caiman latirostris (Crocodylia, Alligatoridae)

Abstract Temperature-dependent sex-determination has been reported for all extant crocodilians. We present information about incubation temperature effects on incubation period, sex ratio, hatching success, and hatchling survivorship during the first year of life for Caiman latirostris. Incubation period was negatively related to temperature. Sex of hatchlings were related to incubation temperature. Only females were produced at 29°C and 31°C, only males were produced at 33°C, and both males and females hatched at 34.5°C. Hatching success and survivorship were unaffected by incubation temperature.

Reptilia, Squamata, Teiidae, Teius suquiensis: New evidence of recent expansion of this parthenogenetic lizard?

Teius suquiensis is the only parthenogenetic teiid lizard known in southern South America. From its discovery in central Cordoba province, Argentina, and description (Avila and Martori 1991), new findings, both in museum collections and in the field, have extended its range to the neighboring provinces of San Luis in the southwest (Martori and Aun 1995) and Santa Fe, in the east (Avila 1995). In many localities, the species lives in sympatry with one of the bisexual species, either Teius teyou or T. oculatus. Sympatric occurrence of the three species has been reported at Daniel Donovan and San Luis city, both in San Luis province (Guerreiro et al. 1998), and between the localities of Gregoria Perez de Denis and Tostado, in Santa Fe province (Avila 2002).

Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae, Scinax nasicus (Cope, 1862): distribution extension

Two adult males Scinax nasicus (Cope, 1862) were collected when calling perched on the vegetation of the banks of a temporary pond near to extended soybean culture, in the surroundings of the town of Ucacha, province of Cordoba, Argentina. This new record confirms the presence of the species in this province, and extends 198 km to SW its range from the nearest previously known record.

Orígenes y progreso de la queloniología en la Argentina

For millennia the turtles and tortoises have been part of the mythical universe of several human cultures. In consequence, the empirical knowledge of oral transmission, the contextualized use, and the symbolic meaning of these animals exceed in antiquity and extension to the academic knowledge on them, which has not impeded, however, that chelonians are currently the most threatened vertebrates on the Earth. This paper deals with the work of explorers and naturalists who laid the foundations of the South American herpetology, in general, and the cheloniology, in particular, with emphasis in Argentina. The work of Marcos Freiberg is recognized as pivotal to the development of the scientific study of the chelonians in this country. Lastly, the progress of cheloniology in recent decades is summarized.

Ontogenetic variation of plastral spotting pattern in Phrynops hilarii (Testudines, Chelidae)

The plastral spotting variation in the chelid turtle Phrynops hilarii (Dumeril & Bibron, 1835) in relation to sex, size, and geographic procedence of individuals was analyzed. States for qualitative characters were analyzed using non-parametric tests. Quantitative characters (shell and scute measurements) were standardized for body size by linear regression against carapace length, and were subjected to principal components analysis and canonical discriminant function analysis. Results suggest that increased plastral spotting is a polymorphic ontogenetic trait in P. hilarii. Neither hatchlings nor juveniles have plastral pattern moderately or heavily pigmented. The simplest pattern, however, may persist without changes in some adults. There are no differences between sexes. The spatial distribution of the plastral pattern is not ordered latitudinally or longitudinally, showing no relationship with gradients of elevation, temperature, or precipitation. This pattern trait lacks of taxonomic significance. The morphometric analysis failed to reveal any character of diagnostic utility in the plastron to support the possibility that these patterns correspond to different sympatric taxa.