http://hdl.handle.net/10500/2786 2013-05-25T13:10:34Z http://hdl.handle.net/10500/9681 A description of parasites from mountain wolf snakes, Lycodon ruhstrati ruhstrati (Serpentes: Colubridae), from two localities in western Taiwan Norval, G.; Goldberg, S.R.; Bursey, C.R.; Dieckmann, S.; Mao, J.J. None 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10500/9680 The nematode, Cosmocerca ornata from the ornamented pygmy frog, Microhyla fissipes and dark-sided chorus frog, Microhyla heymonsi from Taiwan (R.O.C.) and a summation of helminth records from these hosts. Norval, G.; Bursey, C.R.; Goldberg, S.R.; Arreola, J.; Huang, S.C.; Mao, J.J. Microhyla fissipes and Microhyla heymonsi are common anurans in lowland plains to low montane regions in most parts of Taiwan. Five Microhyla fissipes and 7 Microhyla heymonsi from southwestern Taiwan were examined for helminths. A nematode, Cosmocerca ornata, was the only helminth species found. This report is the first record of this nematode species from Taiwan and also confirms infection of M. fissipes by C. ornata and documents M. heymonsi as a new host record for C. ornata. Herein, updated helminth lists for M. fissipes and M. heymonsi are provided. 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10500/9679 Gastrointestinal Helminths of the Marshland Frog, Fejervarya limnocharis (Anura: Ranidae) from Taiwan, R.O.C. NORVAL, GERRUT; BURSEY, CHARLES R.; GOLDBERG, STEPHEN R.; ARREOLA, JEANETTE; HUANG, SHAO-CHANG; MAO, JEAN-JAY Eight Fejervarya limnocharis from southwestern Taiwan were examined for helminths. Two species of Nematoda, Cosmocerca ornata and Oswaldocruzia hoepplii, and 1 species of Acanthocephala, Pseudoacanthocephalus bufonis, were found. A survey of helminths infecting other populations of F. limnocharis indicates that this frog is infected by generalist helminths that also infect a variety of other anurans. Taiwan is a new locality record for P. bufonis. 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10500/8791 Population ecology of vervet monkeys in a high latitude, semi-arid riparian woodland Pasternak, Graham; Brown, Leslie R.; Kienzle, Stefan; Fuller, Andrea; Barrett, Louise; Henzi, S. Peter Narrow riparian woodlands along non-perennial streams have made it possible for vervet monkeys to penetrate the semi-arid karoo ecosystem of South Africa, whilst artificial water points have more recently allowed these populations to colonize much more marginal habitat away from natural water sources. In order to better understand the sequelae of life in these narrow, linear woodlands for historically 'natural' populations and to test the prediction that they are ecologically stressed, we determined the size of troops in relation to their reliance on natural and artificial water sources and collected detailed data from two river-centred troops on activity, diet and ranging behaviour over an annual cycle. In comparison to other populations, our data indicate that river-centred troops in the karoo were distinctive primarily both for their large group sizes and, consequently, their large adult cohorts, and in the extent of home range overlap in what is regarded as a territorial species. Whilst large group size carried the corollary of increased day journey length and longer estimated interbirth intervals, there was little other indication of the effects of ecological stress on factors such as body weight and foraging effort. We argue that this was a consequence of the high density of Acacia karroo, which accounted for a third of annual foraging effort in what was a relatively depauperate foristic habitat. We ascribed the large group size and home range overlap to constraints on group fission. Conservation implications: The distribution of group sizes, sampled appropriately across habitats within a conservation area, will be of more relevance to management than average values, which may be nothing more than a statistical artefact, especially when troop sizes are bimodally distributed. ABEERU 2013-02-20T00:00:00Z