Evolutionary differentiation within the northern Great Basin pocket gopher, Thomomys townsendii I. Morphological variation

Geographic and nongeographic variation in morphology was examined in Thomomys townsendii . A univariate analysis of external and cranial characters from a large population sample (66 adults; fusion of cranial sutures used as aging criteria) was used to assess variation among three adult age classes and between sexes. Only minor variation is apparent among age classes; however, sexual dimorphism is pronounced. Univariate and multivariate techniques were used to analyze external and cranial measurements and pelage characters for adults throughout the species range. These analyses show little to support the seven subspecific designations recognized by Davis (1937). The general pattern is one of homogeneity throughout the range of Thomomys townsendii . With the possible exception of T. t. nevadensis samples, current subspecies are not defined as morphological units. In fact, differentiation is found among populations within some subspecies. The most apparent pattern seen in these analyses is the divergence between the Humboldt River (including Honey Lake Valley samples) and Snake River systems. These results will be considered with those of a companion paper on the genetic variation in this species to more adequately assess the patterns of differentiation in Thomomys townsendii .     

Evolutionary differentiation within the northern Great Basin pocket gopher, Thomomys townsendii II. Genetic variation and biogeographic considerations

Geographic and nongeographic variation in morphology was examined in Thomomys townsendii . A univariate analysis of external and cranial characters from a large population sample (66 adults; fusion of cranial sutures used as aging criteria) was used to assess variation among three adult age classes and between sexes. Only minor variation is apparent among age classes; however, sexual dimorphism is pronounced. Univariate and multivariate techniques were used to analyze external and cranial measurements and pelage characters for adults throughout the species range. These analyses show little to support the seven subspecific designations recognized by Davis (1937). The general pattern is one of homogeneity throughout the range of Thomomys townsendii . With the possible exception of T. t. nevadensis samples, current subspecies are not defined as morphological units. In fact, differentiation is found among populations within some subspecies. The most apparent pattern seen in these analyses is the divergence between the Humboldt River (including Honey Lake Valley samples) and Snake River systems. These results will be considered with those of a companion paper on the genetic variation in this species to more adequately assess the patterns of differentiation in Thomomys townsendii .     

Distribution of the eastern woodrat ( Neotoma floridana campestris ) in southern Nebraska

The eastern woodrat ( Neotoma floridana ) occurs throughout eastern and central parts of the United States. In Nebraska, 3 of 9 subspecies inhabit the state, including N. f. campestris , N. f. attwateri , and N. f. baileyi . We determined distributional limits of N. f. campestris along 2 river systems in southern Nebraska. As observed with other mammalian species in the Great Plains, we suspected that the distribution of woodrats likely had expanded, reflecting continued regulation of rivers and the concomitant increase in forests along them. We documented N. f. campestris at 7 sites in 5 counties, including a recent (since the 1960s) eastward expansion along the Republican River. We observed little movement along the Platte River. The greatest concentration of houses constructed by woodrats occurred in a shelterbelt near the Republican River; otherwise, abundances of houses tended to be greater along the Platte River. We suspect that the distribution of woodrats will continue to change in Nebraska unless breaks exist or are established in riparian forests along the Platte and Republican rivers.     

Biochemical differentiation in the Idaho ground squirrel, Spermophilus brunneus (Rodenta: Scuridae)

Spermophilus brunneus is restricted to a 90 × 125-km area of west central Idaho, with two distinct (northern and southern) groups of populations within this limited range. Morphological differences in pelage length and coloration, external and cranial measurements, and bacula suggest that these groups are either very distinct subspecies or species. We used starch-gel electrophoresis to estimate the amount of genetic differentiation accompanying these morphological differences by assaying genetic variation at 31 loci in the two geographic groups. Fifteen loci were polymorphic (13 in the northern group, 12 in the southern), and mean heterozygosity (H) was high (12.3% northern and 10.8% southern). Nei's genetic distance (0.057) is in the range usually associated with subspecific differences. However, Jaccard's association coefficient (0.893) is about the same as that found between several ground squirrel taxa currently recognized as species. The high levels of heterozygosity suggest that S. brunneus is a neoendemic rather than a paleoendemic species.     

Bats along the Republican River and its tributaries in southwestern Nebraska: distribution, abundance, and reproduction

Thirteen species of bats occur in Nebraska, but limited information is available on those inhabiting southwestern parts of the state. We investigated the distribution, abundance, and reproductive activity of bats in 5 counties in extreme southwestern Nebraska (Chase, Hays, Dundy, Hitchcock, and Red Willow). From April 2007 to April 2008, we deployed mist nets on 15 occasions at 8 localities over the Republican River and its tributaries. We captured 100 individuals representing 5 species, including the evening bat ( Nycticeius humeralis ), eastern red bat ( Lasiurus borealis ), hoary bat ( Lasiurus cinereus ), big brown bat ( Eptesicus fuscus ), and silver-haired bat ( Lasionycteris noctivagans ). All species raised young in this region of Nebraska, except L. noctivagans , which was documented only during migration. Lactating females of N. humeralis captured on 15 June and volant young captured on 23 June extend known dates of reproductive activity for this species in the state, and an adult female captured on 30 April represents the earliest seasonal record of this species from Nebraska. Our records of evening bats also extend the known distribution of this species farther west in Nebraska than previously reported. Changes in land use throughout the Great Plains during the last century have altered many habitats, such as gallery forests associated with rivers, and distributions of mammals, including bats, have shifted to reflect those ecological changes.     

Reproduction and seasonal activity of silver-haired bats ( Lasionycteris noctivagans ) in western Nebraska

Silver-haired bats ( Lasionycteris noctivagans ) were thought only to migrate through Nebraska; however, recent surveys in eastern Nebraska report summer records of females and their young. Our study in western Nebraska also shows that silver-haired bats are summer residents. We discovered the 1st reproductively active L. noctivagans in this part of the state. We caught lactating females and volant young in riparian forests along the North Platte River and in forested areas of the Pine Ridge. Previously, adult males were not known from Nebraska in summer, and only 4 records of L. noctivagans were known from western Nebraska during migration. On 28 July we captured an adult male in a coniferous forest of the Wildcat Hills, and we have more than 100 records of migrating individuals. Lastly, an obese L. noctivagans captured on 4 November may represent an individual preparing to hibernate in the state.     

Geographical variation in the golden‐striped salamander,Chioglossa lusitanica Bocage, 1864 and the description of a newly recognized subspecies

Morphological and genetic data for the Iberian golden‐striped salamander, Chioglossa lusitanica, demonstrate the existence of two groups with southern and northern ranges, connected by a zone of intergradation in central Portugal. Because reproductive isolation between them is incomplete we consider the groups to be subspecies. The type locality of C. lusitanica (Buçaco near Lousã) is situated inside the mixed zone. This necessitates identification of the nominotypical subspecies. We sequenced a fragment of mitochondrial DNA from one of the species' syntypes and we determined what position over a latitudinal transect maximizes the morphological discrimination between the groups. Both approaches indicate that C. lusitanica from Buçaco represents the southern subspecies. A new subspecies of C. lusitanica is described from a northern locality (Valongo near Porto in north‐western Portugal). A lectotype is designated for Chioglossa lusitanica.     

Hispid cotton rat ( Sigmodon hispidus ) in Nebraska: distribution, reproduction, and seasonal activity

The hispid cotton rat ( Sigmodon hispidus ) has occurred in Nebraska for about 50 years and entered the state from the south via northward movements through Kansas. However, little is known about its status or distribution in the state in recent decades. We conducted surveys for S. hispidus in southern Nebraska at historical sites and sites without previous records to determine its current status. From 2004 to 2008, we documented cotton rats at 9 of 12 historical sites in south-central and extreme southeastern parts of the state, and we captured this species at 13 new sites in southwestern and south-central Nebraska. In the past 3 decades, the distribution of S. hispidus has expanded westward but not northward in the state. An explanation for such a shift is unclear. At this northern edge of its geographical range, pregnant females were captured from early April to early October, and nonreproductive females were captured from November to January. Males with enlarged testes occurred from late March to September. Aspects of its natural history in Nebraska are similar to those reported in Kansas.     

Late-seasonal activity and diet of the evening bat ( Nycticeius humeralis ) in Nebraska

In North America, Nebraska represents part of the northwestern edge of the distribution for the evening bat ( Nycticeius humeralis ). To date, little information on this bat's natural history has been published from the state or from other parts of the Great Plains. Here we report on aspects of its natural history in Nebraska from 2 localities. In late summer and early autumn of 2006, we documented individuals farther west in Nebraska (Harlan County) than previously reported and determined that individuals fed mainly on Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. In 2006, evening bats appeared to migrate from Nebraska during late September–early October, and individuals were extremely fat, about 15 g, prior to migration. Evening bats likely are more widespread and common in south central Nebraska than previously documented. On 6 October 2005, we reported on an individual from eastern Nebraska (Douglas County), which represents the latest seasonal record of N. humeralis from the state.     

Reproduction of the prairie skink, Eumeces septentrionalis , in Nebraska

Clutch sizes of the prairie skink, Eumeces septentrionalis , in Nebraska are positively correlated with female snout-vent lengths (SVLs). Data presented in this study and others indicate Nebraska populations of E. septentrionalis have larger average clutch sizes than other populations within this species' range.     

Lizards and turtles of western Chihuahua

This second report on the reptiles of Chihuahua deals with the lizards and turtles of western Chihuahua. Field work was done from 1956 to 1972 and was confined to the area west of Highway 45. General information pertaining to the ecology and geology reported in the section on snakes is not repeated. Ecological and life history information is included in the species accounts where data are available. In western Chihuahua 16 genera and 49 species and subspecies of lizards and 3 genera and 5 species of turtles are reported. Only one subspecies is described as new ( Sceloporus poinsettii robisoni ), and added data strengthen the diagnosis of others. Three genera ( Sceloporus, Cnemidophorus, and Eumeces ) contain 28 of the species and subspecies reported.     

Distribution of the milliped genus Narceus Rafinesque, 1820 (Spirobolida: Spirobolidae): occurrences in New England and west of the Mississippi River; a summary of peripheral localities; and first records from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, and Minnesota

The milliped genus Narceus Rafinesque, 1820 (Spirobolida: Spirobolidae) occupies parts or all of 2 Canadian provinces, Québec and Ontario; every U.S. state east of the Mississippi River; and 9 states to the west including Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Records are detailed for the "western" states and New England and include the first from Minnesota, Connecticut, Delaware, and Maine; occurrence is projected for southeastern Minnesota and the Delmarva Peninsula. The genus presently comprises 2 valid species that are endemic to Florida— N. gordanus (Chamberlin, 1943) and N. woodruffi Causey, 1959—and 2 of uncertain status that occur throughout the generic range and are referenced as the " N. americanus/annularis complex"; geographic evidence suggests greater diversity, particularly in the south, and a 2nd generic revision is in order to update the existing one by Keeton (1960). Records cluster within a large, semicontinuous area whose northern, southern, and western range extremes, respectively, are Saint-Nicolas, Lévis Census Division, Québec; Key West, Monroe County, Florida, and northeastern Duval County and Rockport, Aransas County, Texas; and Garner State Park, Uvalde County, Texas. The eastern limit is the Atlantic Ocean, and records are available from Cape Cod and Tuckernuck Island, Massachusetts; Long Island, New York; Cape Hatteras, North Carolina; and James Island, South Carolina. The projected western boundary, based on peripheral localities, angles southwestward from Omaha, Nebraska, to Uvalde County; and the northern boundary passes through central Iowa and Wisconsin (encompassing the Door Peninsula) and the southern periphery of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The lone Minnesota locality, from Lyon County in the southwest, lies substantially north of the projected border in Iowa and well west of the expected area of occurrence in southeastern Minnesota. The northernmost record west of the Mississippi River, it may represent an allopatric population that extends westward into eastern South Dakota.     

Discovery of the milliped Scytonotus granulatus (Say, 1821) in Oklahoma and Alabama, with a review of its distribution (Polydesmida: Polydesmidae)

Scytonotus granulatus (Say, 1821) (Polydesmida: Polydesmidae), the most widely ranging polydesmid species in North America and the 4th most widely distributed indigenous continental milliped, is recorded from LeFlore and Latimer Counties, Oklahoma, and Jackson County, Alabama, the 1st records from these states. It also occurs in Logan and Independence Counties, Arkansas. The Latimer County record corresponds approximately to the terminus of the eastern forested biome and extends the distributions of the species and the genus some 255 miles (408 km) westward; along with literature records from Shawnee County, Kansas, and Cass County, Nebraska, it constitutes the western range limits. The projected overall distribution extends around 1100 miles (1760 km) east-west and 985 miles (1576 km) north-south and encompasses parts of Ontario, Québec, and 19 states, including all of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. New localities are detailed as are those from Missouri and that from Dare County, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.     

Bats of the Colorado oil shale region

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Revision and biogeographical analysis of the black-chinned tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron (Teleostei,Cichlidae): results of morphometric,allozyme, globin chain and mtDNA studies

Morphometric, allozyme, globin chain and cytochrome b analyses were used for a revision of the subspecies complex of the black-chinned tilapia, Sarotherodon melanotheron Rüppell, 1852. Three out of four subspecies are recognized as valid: S. m. melanotheron (Ivory Coast to Benin), S. m. heudelotii (Senegal to Guinea) and S. m. leonensis (Sierra Leone to Liberia). The fourth subspecies, S. m. nigripinnis, is raised to the species level S. nigripinnis and is composed of the nominate subspecies S. n. nigripinnis known from Gabon and a newly introduced subspecies, S. n. dolloi, originally described as Tilapia dolloi and previously synonymized with S. m. nigripinnis. It is presently known from the mouth of the Congo to the Lower Kouilou. Phylogenetically, populations from the most eastern range, e.g. Gabon/Congo, are considered to represent the most ancient populations. From this area of origin, the western range of West Africa (Senegal to Benin) was colonized. Two independent colonization events are indicated by allozyme and mtDNA analyses. The initial invasion of the western range of West Africa could be dated back to about 2.5 million years ago.     

Observations of reproduction in mountain lions from Nebraska

Occurrences of mountain lions ( Puma concolor ) in Nebraska have been steadily increasing; however, reproductive activity in mountain lions has not been documented in the state. We present the first evidence of mountain lion reproduction in Nebraska since mountain lions recolonized the state in the early 1990s. On 28 February 2007, a spotted kitten was hit by a vehicle in northwestern Nebraska; and based on body length and weight, we estimate its age at 3.9 months. On 20 December 2008, a female mountain lion and spotted kitten were photographed in the northwestern part of the state. On 9 May 2009, a female mountain lion with a juvenile was also photographed. All records were from the Pine Ridge region of Dawes County, Nebraska. Our records suggest that mountain lions are establishing a permanent population in at least one region of Nebraska.     

Additional records of the dark kangaroo mouse ( Microdipodops megacephalus nasutus ), with a new maximum altitude

Three specimens of Microdipodops megacephalus nasutus were captured in the Wassuk Mountains of western Mineral County, Nevada, which provide a second place of occurrence for the subspecies and a new altitudinal record of 2455 m for the genus. This is the first time this species has been found in the pinyon-juniper belt.     

Subspeciation or none? The hardun in the Aegean (Reptilia: Sauria: Agamidae: Laudakia stellio)

A study aimed at testing the contested validity of the subspecies Laudakia stellio daani yielded novel insights into the essence of subspecies. We examined morphologically museum specimens from Greece, Aegean islands, and Anatolia (n?=?118; not all could be used in all analyses). Beyond the conventional mensural, meristic and qualitative characters we quantified 14 coloration characters, thus totalling 34 characters (including sex). Biometry was statistically analysed within and between the two geographically defined presumed subspecies, L. s. daani and L. s. stellio. Excluding or including broken‐tailed specimens changed the outcome of tests. Significant minor directional asymmetry occurred in one of four character‐taxon combinations. Phenetic cluster analysis poorly separated the two presumed subspecies when all characters, including those with discordant variation, were included; after selection of characters, the separation improved. Some biometric characters distinguish the two presumed subspecies, confirming their validity. The associations of significant inter‐character correlations differed between the two subspecies. Additionally, the two differed in parameters reflecting selection pressures and social structure: L. s. stellio is more colourful than L. s. daani; its sexual dimorphism is mainly chromatic, versus mensural in L. s. daani; and its population seems to include many males with underdeveloped callous scales, presumably socially subordinate, versus very few in L. s. daani.     

Review of the harvest mice (genus Reithrodontomys ) in the Mexican state of México

We examined 590 specimens of Reithrodontomys from 95 localities in the state of México. Four species of the subgenus Reithrodontomys and 1 of the subgenus Aporodon were identified. The former subgenus included R. chrysopsis , R. sumichrasti , R. megalotis , and R. fulvescens , which has 2 subspecies— R. f. toltecus and R. f. mustelinus — in the state. The representative of the subgenus Aporodon is R. microdon wagner , which is recorded for the first time in the state. We give information on taxonomy, morphometrics, reproduction, habitat characteristics, and related fauna. A discriminant analysis correctly classified 100% of specimens from the 6 taxa with 5 canonical variates, and accounted for 96.1% of the variance with the first 3 canonical variates.     

Amphibians of Western Chihuahua

This third report on the herpetofauna of Chihuahua deals exclusively with amphibians. The first plethodonid salamander is reported, species Ambystoma rosaceum is discussed in greater detail than before, and two subspecies are recognized. Spea is elevated from subgeneric to generic rank, and S. stagnalis Cope is removed from synonymy and is recognized as a subspecies of hammondii . The species listed include the following: 2 salamanders and 19 anurans (1 Scaphiopus , 2 Spea , 9 Bufo , 1 Eleutherodactylus , 2 Hyla , 3 Rana , and 1 Microhyla ). Reference is made to vaious habitats that are associated with elevations arising form lower deserts and extending into the western mountains. The role played by the dry and wet annual cycles is also noted.