Taxonomic status of the Lesser Woolly Horseshoe bats (Chiroptera, Rhinolophidae, Rhinolophus beddomei) in peninsular India and Sri Lanka

Insularity provides ample opportunities for species diversification. Sri Lanka is home to a large diversity of species, many of which are endemic but morphologically similar to species found in southern India, due to recent speciation events, suggesting a complex evolutionary history. However, in some taxa although morphological diversity has been noted, the genetic level variations are minimal. Among the wide-ranging horseshoe bats such a phenomenon is noted. In this study, we used bioacoustics, morphometric and molecular data to evaluate the relationships between the taxa of lesser woolly horseshoe bats in the India and Sri Lanka. Our study reveals that the two taxa-Rhinolophus beddomei Andersen, 1905 and here we have validated the existing subspecies from peninsular India and R. sobrinus Andersen, 1918 from Sri Lanka are genetically very close to R. perniger Hodgson, 1843. Currently the taxa-beddomei and sobrinus are recognized as subspecies of Rhinolophus beddomei Andersen, 1905. We provide a detailed description of the taxa beddomei and sobrinus as the original descriptions are limited in nature.

A checklist of herpetofauna of Telangana state, India

A checklist of herpetofauna of Telangana, India including accepted English name, scientific name along with authority, Telugu and vernacular name, IUCN, Indian Wildlife Protection Act and CITES status, and endemicity is presented in this paper. The herpetofauna diversity of Telangana is represented by 98 species including 16 species of amphibians belonging to four families, one species of crocodile, six species of testudines, 35 species of saurians and 40 species of snakes. Three species—Hemidactylus flavicaudus, H. xericolus, and H. aemulus—are endemic to Telangana.

A checklist of fishes of Telangana State, India

A checklist of freshwater fishes of Telangana State, India including accepted common name, vernacular name, IUCN status, and endemicity is presented.  Freshwater fish diversity of Telangana State is represented by 143 species belonging to 14 orders and 34 families.  Two species, Rita bakalu and Indoreonectes telanganaensis are endemic to Telangana State.

Ecological niche modelling predicts significant impacts of future climate change on two endemic rodents in eastern Africa

The impact of climate change on rodents is well studied, however, many of these studies are restricted to the Americas.  Small- to medium-sized rodents, especially murids, are restricted in their home range and microclimatic niche breadth, and are known to be more sensitive to changes in bioclimatic conditions over time.  We analyzed the effect of future climatic scenarios in the near and distant future, using two global climate models (CanESM5 and MIROC-ES2L) for two shared socio-economic pathways (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5), on two eastern Africa endemic small-bodied mice: Stenocephalemys albipes and Mastomys awashensis. Our results indicate that while S. albipes showed increases in area of climatic suitability in the future, M. awashensis is predicted to suffer severe decline in the area of its fundamental niche.    

Occurrence of Corica soborna Hamilton, 1822 (Clupeiformes: Clupeidae) in the Godavari basin, India

We record for the first time, Corica soborna Hamilton, 1822 from Godavari River, based on a single specimen collected from stream near Talai Village, Kumaram Bheem Asifabad District of Telengana State.  In addition to a detailed description of its morphological characters, we also provide details on distribution, habitat and threats to the species.

Indoreonectes telanganaensis, a new species of loach (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae) from the Godavari Basin of India

A new species of hill-stream loach, Indoreonectes telanganaensis, is described from a seasonal tributary of the Godavari River at Maisamma Loddi, within the Kawal Tiger Reserve, Telangana State, India. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of characters including caudal peduncle as long as deep; eye large, its diameter about one-fifth head length; pectoral fin as long as head; nasal barbel reaching the middle of the eye; dorsal-fin origin on vertical through pelvic-fin origin; and bars on the lateral side of the body well defined and wide. We also provide multivariate morphometric, and DNA analysis based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequence to support the distinction of the new species.

Ichthyofaunal diversity of Manjeera Reservoir, Manjeera Wildlife Sanctuary, Telangana, India

The ichthyofaunal diversity of Manjeera Wildlife Sanctuary in Telangana State was studied between October 2015 and November 2016.  A total of 57 species of fish belonging to 42 genera, within 20 families and 11 orders were recorded.  The present communication provides an updated ichthyofaunal checklist of Manjeera Reservoir and discusses the threats to fish in Manjeera Wildlife Sanctuary.

A review of the bacular morphology of some Indian bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera)

Bacular studies play a significant role in the case of bats and other mammals since it is considered an important taxon-specific character, thus helping in species discrimination. Structure of the baculum (os penis) also aids in examining and understanding cryptic diversity in bats. The baculum has been used in taxonomic studies of bats but such studies for Indian bats are few and far between. It was felt necessary to put together a comprehensive document depicting the bacular morphology of bats in India so as to be helpful for future bat studies. The penises of the bats were excised, treated with KOH, and then dyed with alizarin red to extract the bacula. The extracted bacula were measured using an oculometer, photographed, and preserved in glycerol. Of the total of 47 species of bats (belonging to nine families) collected and studied during the past decade, we present the bacular morphology of 44 species from peninsular India, Andaman Islands, and Jammu and Kashmir. Bacular morphology of eight taxa, namely, Eonycteris spelaea, Rhinolophus pusillus, R. lepidus monticola, R. cognatus, Hipposideros cf. grandis, Myotis peytoni, M. horsfieldii dryas, and M. longipes are presented here for the first time from India.

Echolocation calls of some bats of Gujarat, India

Bats play an important role by providing ecosystem services including pollination, seed dispersal, forest regeneration and insect pest control and also serve as bio-indicators. In the present study, we present an acoustic guide to the calls of nine species of bats from Gujarat belonging to families Rhinopomatidae (Rhinopoma hardwickii, Rhinopoma microphyllum), Emballonuridae (Taphozous melanopogon, Taphozous longimanus and Taphozous nudiventris), Rhinolophidaea (Rhinolophus lepidus), Hipposideridae (Hipposideros galeritus) and Vespertilionidae (Scotophilus heathii, Pipistrellus ceylonicus). Discriminant function analysis was used to classify the bat calls to the species level using leave-one-out cross validation. Analysis was carried out separately for constant frequency (CF) calls and frequency-modulated (FM) calls. Bats echolocating with CF calls were classified with 100% success, while in the case of FM calls, the calls were classified with 66.7% accuracy. In species-rich communities, care should be taken while using echolocation calls to identify bats producing FM calls. More such call libraries of bats from other parts of India are needed for non-invasive documentation of chiropteran fauna in different biogeographic zones.

Integrated approaches to identifying cryptic bat species in areas of high endemism: The case of Rhinolophus andamanensis in the Andaman Islands

The diversity of bats worldwide includes large numbers of cryptic species, partly because divergence in acoustic traits such as echolocation calls are under stronger selection than differences in visual appearance in these nocturnal mammals. Island faunas often contain disproportionate numbers of endemic species, and hence we might expect cryptic, endemic species to be discovered relatively frequently in bats inhabiting islands. Species are best defined when multiple lines of evidence supports their diagnosis. Here we use morphometric, acoustic, and molecular phylogenetic data to show that a horseshoe bat in the Andaman Islands is distinct in all three aspects, supporting its status as a distinct species. We recommend investigation into possible new and endemic bat species on islands by using integrated approaches that provide independent lines of evidence for taxonomic distinctiveness. We provide a formal redescription of the taxon newly raised to species level, Rhinolophus andamanensis Dobson, 1872.

New record of Blue Perch Badis badis (Anabantiformes: Badidae) from Godavari River basin of Telangana State, India

Badis badis (Hamilton, 1822), a freshwater fish species, has been reported for the first time from the Godavari River basin of Telangana State, India.  One specimen of B. badis was collected from a stream near Mubarakpur Village in Sangareddy District (Manjeera sub-basin) and another from a stream near Sirpur (T) Town in Asifabad District (Wardha sub-basin), Telangana State, India.  This publication provides information about B. badis occurrence in India, a short description of the collected specimen, and a discussion on its habitat and threats.

Range extension of Redside Barb, Puntius bimaculatus (Bleeker, 1863) (Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae), from the Nallamalla and Sheshachalam Hill Ranges of the Eastern Ghats, India

We report new distribution records of Redside Barb (Puntius bimaculatus), a species of freshwater fish, for the first time from the Nallamala Hill Ranges of Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda districts (Telangana state), and the Seshachalam Hills in Kadapa district (Andhra Pradesh). We provide a brief description of earlier reports and a detailed description of this species.

Species composition and abundance of rodents in Kafta-Sheraro National Park, Ethiopia: preliminary results

An ecological survey was conducted to assess the species composition and abundance of rodents in Kafta-Sheraro National Park, Ethiopia from June 2017 to April 2018 covering wet and dry seasons.  Rodents were trapped using Sherman live traps from five selected habitat types—natural forest, bushland, grassland, farmland, and human settlement.  A total of 209 individuals of rodents belonging to seven species were captured over 2940 trap nights, and three species of rodents were only observed.  The trapped rodent species include Mastomys natalensis, Stenocephalemys albipes, Rattus rattus, Mastomys awashensis, Acomys cahirinus, Arvicanthis niloticus dembeensis, and Mastomys erythroleucus.  Lemniscomys striatus, Hystrix cristata, and Xerus rutilus were only sighted during the study.  Mastomys natalensis was the most abundant species (41.1%), followed by Stenocephalemys albipes (26.3%) and Rattus rattus (18.2%), whereas Mastomys erythroleucus (1.4%) was the least abundant species.  The abundance of female (59.8%) was higher than male (40.2%).  Of the total trapped rodents, 52.2% were adults, 32% sub-adult and 15.8% young.  The abundance of rodents was varied among habitat types and between seasons.  The results of the study revealed that the park has diverse species of fauna including rodents.

<b>In plain sight: Bacular and noseleaf morphology supports distinct specific status of Roundleaf Bats <I>Hipposideros pomona</I> Andersen, 1918 and <I>Hipposideros gentilis</I> Andersen, 1918 (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae)</b>

The taxonomic status of Andersen’s Roundleaf Bat Hipposideros pomona (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) and its relationship with the taxa assigned to it has been confusing.  Knud Andersen described H. pomona (based on specimens from southern India) and H. gentilis (based on specimens from Myanmar) in 1918. Subsequently, the latter taxon was included under the former as a subspecies.  Owing to disjunct distribution, it was speculated that these two taxa are distinct.  Discovery of the type material and additional vouchers of both taxa in the National Collection of Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata allowed detailed comparison.  Based on the morphological, craniodental and bacular characters, we establish the distinctness of these taxa.  A redescription of H. pomona Andersen, 1918 is provided. 

A new cryptic rock-dwelling Hemidactylus Oken, 1817 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from northern Karnataka, India

A new species of rupicolous gecko of the genus Hemidactylus is described from the Bellary District of Karnataka, India. The large-sized (SVL to at least 104.7 mm) gecko is characterized by the following suite of characters: dorsum with 16 longitudinal rows of irregularly arranged, subtrihedral, moderately to feebly keeled, striated tubercles at midbody; tail with transverse series of two enlarged tubercles on either side of the median furrow on the first and second tail segments each; 17-18 femoral pores on each side separated by 5 poreless scales. In conjunction, the molecular data based on concatenated analysis of nuclear (RAG-1 and PDC) and mitochondrial (Cytb) genes support the distinctiveness of the species and its affinities with large-bodied tuberculate Hemidactylus spp. from India and Sri Lanka, placing the new species basal to the entire H. prashadi group.

<b>Ichthyofauna of Udayasamudram Reservoir in Nalgonda District, Telangana</b>

The present paper discusses about the diversity of fish fauna in Udayasamudram Reservoir in Nalgonda District, Telangana State, India. Surveys were conducted from March 2013 to February 2016, and fish specimens were collected to study the diversity. A total of 38 species of fishes belonging to seven orders, 15 families and 32 genera were identified. Order Cypriniformes dominated with 14 species followed by Perciformes with 10 species, Siluriformes with nine species, Beloniformes with two species, Osteoglossiformes, Synbranchiformes and Anguilliformes with one species each. The result of this study revealed that Udayasamudram reservoir supports diverse fish population. Therefore, it needs proper management and utilization of fish wealth. We present the checklist of Ichthyofauna of Udayasamudram reservoir fort the first time.

A new species of large-bodied, tuberculate <i>Hemidactylus</i> Oken (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Eastern Ghats, India

A distinct new gecko of the genus Hemidactylus is described from Andhra Pradesh, India. This large-sized (snout to vent length up to at least 105 mm), scansorial Hemidactylus is characterized by dorsal scalation of small granules intermixed with large, pointed, trihedral tubercles that form 16-17 fairly regularly arranged longitudinal rows at midbody; 9-11 subdigital lamellae below the first and 11-13 below the fourth digit; 6-8 strongly pointed and keeled enlarged tubercles on the original tail; 20-23 femoral pores separated by 4 poreless scales in males; 11-13 supralabials and 9-11 infralabials. This is the third vertebrate endemic to the Mahendragiri Range, highlighting the significance of this topographically complex region.

<b>Avifaunal diversity in the scrub forest of Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India</b>

A total of 115 bird species belonging to 47 families were recorded in the scrub forests of the Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India in a survey carried out from May 2014 to April 2015.  Of these, 107 species were resident and nine species were resident migrants. The scrub forests of peninsular India are equally important as other habitats for avifaunal assemblages.

Facile one-pot synthesis of 2-amino-1,3,4-oxadiazole tethered peptidomimetics by molecular-iodine-mediated cyclodeselenization

Mild and highly efficient I₂ and Et₃N aided cyclodeselenization of in situ generated selenosemicarbazide is described to obtain 2-amino-1,3,4-oxadiazole peptidomimetics.

Echolocation calls of the two endemic leaf-nosed bats (Chiroptera: Yinpterochiroptera: Hipposideridae) of India: Hipposideros hypophyllus Kock & Bhat, 1994 and Hipposideros durgadasi Khajuria, 1970

 We provide the echolocation call characteristics of two endemic Hipposiderid bats, the Kolar Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros hypophyllus and Durga Das’s Leaf-nosed Bat H. durgadasi from Kolar district, Karnataka, India for the first time. The calls consisted of a constant frequency (CF) component followed by a frequency modulated (FM) tail. It was found that, on comparison with the call frequencies of other members of the bicolor group of the genus Hipposideros previously reported from different parts of southeast Asia, H. durgadasi, though larger than H. cineraceus, called at a much higher frequency (168.4 – 175.7 kHz). H. hypophyllus, on the other hand, called between 103.0 – 106.4 kHz. In this paper we present our findings and analysis of the calls of these endemic species.  

First record of the Diadem Leaf-Nosed Bat Hipposideros diadema (E. Geoffroy, 1813) (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) from the Andaman Islands, India with the possible occurrence of a hitherto unreported subspecies

The Diadem Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros diadema (E. Geoffroy, 1813) is recorded for the first time from the Andaman Islands, India. A solitary female specimen was collected on October 13, 2015 from a limestone cave on Baratang Island. Cranial measurements and other morphological characters indicate that the specimen differs from the endemic subspecies, the Nicobar Diadem Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros diadema nicobarensis (Dobson, 1871), but compares favourably with the South-east Asian subspecies, Mason’s Diadem Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros diadema masoni (Dobson, 1872), in description, craniodental characters, and echolocation calls. This is the first record of Hipposideros diadema (E. Geoffroy, 1813) from Andaman Islands, and the subspecies Mason’s Diadem Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros diadema masoni (Dobson, 1872) from India.

New locality data for Stegodyphus tibialis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869) (Araneae: Eresidae) from Telangana state, India

We present the first record of the velvet spider Stegodyphus tibialis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869) from Telangana state, India. A male specimen of this species was collected from Osmania University campus, Hyderabad. We describe the male and provide a map of the global range of the species.

All that glitters is not gold: A projected distribution of the endemic Indian Golden Gecko Calodactylodes aureus (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae) indicates a major range shrinkage due to future climate change

Climate change has a perceived threat on biodiversity due to its effect on species range.  Species with narrow ranges and highly specific climatic and habitat requirements are at higher risk.  To understand the influence of climate change on the Indian endemic gekkonid, the Indian Golden Gecko Calodactylodes aureus (Beddome, 1870) we model the present and future predicted distribution (2050 and 2070) under the CMIP5 RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios using MaxEnt under the HadGEM3-ES Model.  Our analysis revealed the negative impact of climate change on the Indian Golden Gecko with a decrease in the amount of climatically suitable areas in the future, and an almost total range shrinkage by 2070.  Despite its wide distribution in the eastern Deccan Peninsula, according to our predictions, the species is threatened by a shrinkage in the future range due to climate change. 

No longer supple? Molecular phylogeny suggests generic reassignment of Lygosoma ashwamedhi (Sharma, 1969) (Reptilia: Scincidae)

Morphometrics and phylogenetic analysis based on 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences reveal that Riopa ashwamedhi Sharma, 1969 is placed incorrectly in the genus Riopa or Lygosoma, and we transfer this taxon to the genus Eutropis. New material of this rare and endemic species forms the basis of the generic reassignment. A detailed description of E. ashwamedhi (Sharma, 1969) comb. nov. and natural history notes are provided based on the new material collected in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Avifauna of Chamba District, Himachal Pradesh, India with emphasis on Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary and its surroundings

<p>The avifaunal diversity of Chamba District of Himachal Pradesh with emphasis on Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding was observed for a period of one year between 2012 and 2013.  We observed 95 species of birds belonging to 12 orders and 40 families.  Of this diversity, 41 species were abundant to common, 34 occasional and 20 rare.  Most species were resident (83 species, including two species whose population increased during winters) and the rest were migrants (including nine winter migrating species and three summer migrating species).  A total of 302 species of birds have been reported from Chamba District between 1884 and present. Analysis of recent published literature in conjunction with the present study reveals that 178 species of birds have been reported from Chamba District since 2000.  The present study reports 11 new records for the district.</p><div> </div>

A new species of Cnemaspis (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from Northern Karnataka, India

A new species of rupicolous gecko of the genus Cnemaspis is described from Hampi, Karnataka, southern India. Cnemaspis adii sp. nov. is diagnosable from all the Indian congeners in possessing the following suite of characters: medium-sized Cnemaspis, SVL less than 35 mm (31.7-34.9). Dorsal scales on the trunk homogeneous, small, granular and feebly keeled. Spine-like tubercles absent on the flanks. Mental subtraingular, two pairs of postmentals, primary pair separated by a single chin shield. Ventral scales on the trunk smooth, imbricate; 22-26 scales across the belly. Supralabial I narrowly in contact with nasal. Dorsal aspect of forelimbs and hindlimbs are weakly unicarinate. Lamellae under the digit IV of pes 20-22. Males with two precloacal pores, two femoral pores on each side of the thigh. The existence of the species in a World Heritage Site with continuous anthropogenic interference ascertains the robustness of the species and need for additional herpetofaunal explorations to reveal the total diversity of species of the genus Cnemaspis in peninsular India.

New distribution record and a review on Hipposideros fulvus Gray, 1838 (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) distribution from Andhra Pradesh, India

We report a new distribution record and review the earlier records of the Fulvous roundleaf bat, Hipposideros fulvus, from Andhra Pradesh, India, based on a female specimen collected from Hyderabad, India. This species has been hitherto reported from only two localities in Andhra Pradesh and has been missed out from most of the reports and publications.

Squamata, Scincidae, Eutropis trivittata (Hardwicke and Gray, 1827): distribution extension

We report the first record of the three-banded skink Eutropis trivittata (Hardwicke and Gray, 1827) (Reptilia: Scincidae) for Andhra Pradesh, India, based on a specimen from Araku, Vishakapatnam district. This report also helps in understanding the distribution of this species in South East India.