Persistence of a population of palmate newts Lissotriton helveticus in a saline environment on the west coast of Scotland

A six year survey of a palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus) population in rock pools on the west coast of Scotland indicates that this species has some tolerance of saline conditions. The newts were living with a mean salinity (conductivity) of 382 ppm (range 30.7 ppm to >4995 ppm). Other interesting observations include a variation in mating behaviour, in which normal open water behaviour is confined to crevices, and the occurrence of ‘pelvic bumps’ in some individuals that may indicate reduced body condition.

Distribución, uso del hábitat y fenología de los anfibios en las Bardenas Reales de Navarra

Se actualiza la composición y distribución de las especies de anfibios en la Zona Especial de Conservación de las Bardenas Reales (Navarra), a partir de un seguimiento realizado en la primavera y verano de 2012 en 444 humedales potenciales para su reproducción. Se constata la presencia de siete especies de anfibios y la reproducción otoñal de Epidalea calamita (Laurenti, 1768), Pelodytes punctatus (Daudin, 1802) y Pelobates cultripes (Cuvier, 1829) en ciertos años, dependiente de precipitaciones producidas a finales de verano y principios de otoño. Otras tres especies presentes en decenios anteriores (Lissotriton helveticus (Razoumowsky, 1789), Discoglossus galganoi Capula, Nascetti, Lanza, Bullini y Crespo, 1985, y Hyla molleri Bedriaga, 1889) no fueron encontradas en los muestreos de 2012.

Pathological and phylogenetic characterization ofAmphibiothecumsp. infection in an isolated amphibian (Lissotriton helveticus) population on the island of Rum (Scotland)

SUMMARYOutbreaks of cutaneous infectious disease in amphibians are increasingly being attributed to an overlooked group of fungal-like pathogens, the Dermocystids. During the last 10 years on the Isle of Rum, Scotland, palmate newts (Lissotriton helveticus) have been reportedly afflicted by unusual skin lesions. Here we present pathological and molecular findings confirming that the pathogen associated with these lesions is a novel organism of the order Dermocystida, and represents the first formally reported, and potentially lethal, case of amphibian Dermocystid infection in the UK. Whilst the gross pathology and the parasite cyst morphology were synonymous to those described in a study from infectedL. helveticusin France, we observed a more extreme clinical outcome on Rum involving severe subcutaneous oedema. Phylogenetic topologies supported synonymy between Dermocystid sequences from Rum and France and as well as their distinction fromAmphibiocystidiumspp. Phylogenetic analysis also suggested that the amphibian-infecting Dermocystids are not monophyletic. We conclude that theL. helveticus-infecting pathogen represents a single, novel species;Amphibiothecum meredithae.

Side-by-side secretion of Late Palaeozoic diverged courtship pheromones in an aquatic salamander

Males of the advanced salamanders (Salamandroidea) attain internal fertilization without a copulatory organ by depositing a spermatophore on the substrate in the environment, which females subsequently take up with their cloaca. The aquatically reproducing modern Eurasian newts (Salamandridae) have taken this to extremes, because most species do not display close physical contact during courtship, but instead largely rely on females following the male track at spermatophore deposition. Although pheromones have been widely assumed to represent an important aspect of male courtship, molecules able to induce the female following behaviour that is the prelude for successful insemination have not yet been identified. Here, we show that uncleaved sodefrin precursor-like factor (SPF) protein pheromones are sufficient to elicit such behaviour in female palmate newts ( Lissotriton helveticus ). Combined transcriptomic and proteomic evidence shows that males simultaneously tail-fan multiple ca 20 kDa glycosylated SPF proteins during courtship. Notably, molecular dating estimates show that the diversification of these proteins already started in the late Palaeozoic, about 300 million years ago. Our study thus not only extends the use of uncleaved SPF proteins outside terrestrially reproducing plethodontid salamanders, but also reveals one of the oldest vertebrate pheromone systems.