This is the first documented observation of the oviposition of Calotes ceylonensis. The ovipositional behavior consisted of digging of the hole nest to lay the eggs; the laying of the eggs; the scraping of the soil to bury the eggs; the filling of the spaces between the eggs, and the hole nest; the tight compression of the soil, and camouflage the nest.
Submitted date: 09 September 2008 Accepted date: 15 September 2008 Published date: 06 April 2009 Pp. 19–23, pls. 5–6.
ON DISTRESS CALLS OF MALE Hemidactylus brookii parvimaculatus DERANIYAGALA, 1953 (REPTILIA: GEKKONIDAE) FROM SRI LANKA
Dieter Gramentz* *E-mail: liteblu@gmx.de
Abstract Two types of distress calls were recorded from three male Hemidactylus brookiii parvimaculatus. One type consisted of clicks and one of a single squeak. Twelve calls were analysed. Distress calls comprising a squeak had an average length of 0.070 sec while those comprising clicks averaged 0.329 sec. The difference in length of the two types of calls was significant (P<0.05). Average maximum sound intensity of all calls was 76.9 dB and was reached between 3045 Hz and 7473 Hz (x = 4451 Hz). Maximum frequency varied from 7194 Hz to 16238 Hz having an average of 13393 Hz and the average minimum frequency was 1230 Hz. All squeak distress calls showed harmonics, whereas no harmonics occurred in calls with clicks.
Key words : Bioacoustics, distress call, Hemidactylus brookii parvimaculatus, Sri Lanka
Submitted date: 04 November 2008 Accepted date: 05 January 2009 Published date: 06 April 2009 Pp. 16–18
MUTUALISM IN Ramanella nagaoi MANAMENDRA-ARACHCHI & PETHIYAGODA, 2001 (AMPHIBIA : MICROHYLIDAE) AND Poecilotheria SPECIES (ARACNIDA : THEREPOSIDAE) FROM SRI LANKA
Ramanella nagaoi is an endemic and vulnerable species of Family Microhylidae distributed in lowland wet zone rain forests and reproduce and live in and around tree hollows. This article presents some aspects of mutualism of R. nagaoi with Poecilotheria ornata and P. (cf.) subfusca thereposid spiders in random field visits during the past seven years. This is the first observation of this symbiotic behaviour.
Submitted date: 20 January 2009 Accepted date: 27 January 2009 Published date: 06 April 2009 Pp. 2–15, pls. 1–4.
THE ORIGINAL DESCRIPTIONS AND FIGURES OF SRI LANKAN AGAMID LIZARDS (SQUAMATA : AGAMIDAE) OF THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES
A.A. Thasun Amarasinghe*, Ulrich Manthey, Edi Stöckli, Ivan Ineich, Sven O Kullander, Franz Tiedemann, Colin McCarthy & Dinesh E. Gabadage *Corresponding author. E-mail: thasun.taprobanica@gmail.com
Abstract Eighteen species of agamid lizards are recognized from Sri Lanka, representing one subfamily: Draconinae. Thirteen of these species were described in the period 1758-1887. The early descriptions of agamid lizards were very brief and often written in languages other than English. Original descriptions and images of type specimens are provided for Calotes calotes (Linnaeus, 1758), C. versicolor (Daudin, 1802), C. nigrilabris Peters, 1860, C. liocephalus Günther, 1872, C. liolepis Boulenger, 1885, C. ceylonensis Müller, 1887, Otocryptis wiegmanni Wagler, 1830, Ceratophora stoddartii Gray, 1835, C. tennentii Günther, 1861, C. aspera Günther, 1864, Lyriocephalus scutatus (Linnaeus, 1758), Cophotis ceylanica Peters, 1861, and Sitana ponticeriana Cuvier, 1829. Translations to English are provided of original descriptions that were published in Latin, French, and German.
Key words : Agamidae, English translation, original description, Sri Lanka, taxonomy, type specimen
Submitted date: 28 March 2020 Accepted date: 30 April 2020 Published date: 21 May 2020 Pp. 31–38, pls. 12–14.
ON TWO POORLY KNOWN, INSULAR SKINKS, Eutropis tytleri (THEOBALD, 1868) AND E. andamanensis (SMITH, 1935) (REPTILIA : SCINCIDAE), ENDEMIC TO THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA
Abstract We examined the holotype of Eutropis tytleri and one of the syntypes of E. andamanensis collected from the Andaman Islands, currently deposited at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). Information on taxonomy, morphology, distribution, behaviour and natural history of these two poorly-known, insular endemic skinks are presented here based on individuals recorded and examined in-situ, in the field as well as preserved material. Their types are illustrated and redescribed. A distribution map is presented based on records from the present study; threats and conservation status are discussed.