A communal nesting site of the Central American river turtle (Dermatemys mawii) along the New River, Belize

The Central American river turtle, Dermatemys mawii, is a critically endangered species with declines in its population caused by human harvest. Previous knowledge of nesting behaviour is minimal, and communal nesting of D. mawii has not been described previously. Here we report the first observations of communal nesting of D. mawii and provide recommendations to researchers and conservationists on how to find D. mawii nests, based on observed communal nesting conditions, proximity to water, hydro-period, and vegetative cover.

Hatching Asynchrony in Oviraptorid Dinosaurs Sheds Light on Their Unique Nesting Biology

Synopsis Dinosaur nesting biology has been an intriguing research topic, though dinosaur behaviors were relatively less illuminated because of the constraints of the fossil record. For instance, hatching asynchrony, where eggs in a single clutch hatch at different times, is unique to modern neoavian birds but was also suggested to be present in oviraptorid dinosaurs based on a possible partial clutch of four embryo-containing eggs from Mongolia. Unfortunately, unequivocal evidence for the origination of these eggs from a single clutch is lacking. Here we report a new, better preserved partial oviraptorid clutch with three embryo-containing eggs—a single egg (Egg I) and a pair (Egg II/III)—from the Late Cretaceous Nanxiong Group of Jiangxi Province, China. Geopetal features indicate that the pair of eggs was laid prior to the single egg. Neutron tomographic images in combination with osteological features indicate that the embryo of the single egg is less developed than those of the paired eggs. Eggshell histology suggests that the embryo-induced erosion in the paired eggs is markedly more pronounced than in the single egg, providing a new line of evidence for hatching asynchrony. The inferred hatching asynchrony in combination with previously surmised thermoregulatory incubation and communal nesting behaviors very likely suggests that oviraptorid dinosaurs presented a unique reproductive biology lacking modern analogs, which is contrary to the predominant view that their reproductive biology was intermediate between that of modern crocodiles and birds.

Microhabitat selection and communal nesting in the insular Psychedelic Rock Gecko, Cnemaspis psychedelica, in Southern Vietnam with updated information on trade

The Psychedelic Rock Gecko,Cnemaspispsychedelica, was described in 2010 and certainly belongs to the most spectacular gecko discoveries worldwide. The species is endemic to two small offshore islands in Rach Gia Bay. Its striking colour pattern makes the species highly attractive for the international pet market. The existentCnemaspispopulation is negatively affected by habitat degradation and predation by introduced macaques. We herein provide the first characterisation of microhabitat selection of this species, including seasonal variation on Hon Khoai and Hon Tuong islands, Ca Mau Province, Vietnam. We found that characteristics of the selected microhabitat, such as substrate type, temperature and canopy cover slightly differed between the wet and dry seasons. We also demonstrated age-related differences in the selection of perch heights. Communal nesting was, for the first time, reported forC.psychedelica, as well as natural predation by a snake species (Lycodoncapucinus). In addition, we documented ongoing habitat destruction on Hon Khoai Island and recorded illegal trade of live Psychedelic Rock Geckos for the first time on local pet markets in both northern and southern Vietnam. Our findings highlight the need for improved conservation measures in order to reduce anthropogenic impacts on wild populations ofC.psychedelica.

Nesting in the lizard Phyllopezus pollicaris (Squamata: Phyllodactylidae) and a phylogenetic perspective on communal nesting in the family

Communal nesting occurs in many reptile species. The hypotheses that explain the evolution of such behaviours are still controversial, but will be better understood as more communal nesting records are described in the literature. We report the findings of two communal nests of Phyllopezus pollicaris, including the largest known nest for the species. Our study is the first to provide a communal nesting record for squamate species in a Cerrado core area. We provide nest photographs and detailed neonate measurements and weight. Nests were found during the dry season, in contrast with the reproduction pattern previously described for the species in the Cerrado periphery. We also conducted an extensive literature review seeking all available information on communal nesting information in Phyllodactylidae, and present this information in the context of a phylogenetic tree of phyllodactylid genera. We suggest that studying the correlation between communal nesting evolution and reproductive investment will become a fertile field as more information on lizard nesting becomes available in the literature.