HerpVet Services

03/02/2025

Research News! Our article about the diet and predator-prey interactions of the Smooth Snake (Coronella austriaca) is out now. Since the Smooth Snake is a known snake and viper predator, it was suspected that it could threaten populations of the endangered Hungarian Meadow Viper (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis). However, as our research reveals, the Smooth Snake mainly consumes lizards, small mammals and Orthopterans in Meadow Viper habitats, while it occassionally also preys on its conspecifics. Our study also highlights, how prey availability impacts the habitat selection of the Smooth Snake, as we found an interaction between the occupancy of the Smooth Snake and that of its lizard prey.
The paper is available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42974-025-00234-9

25/01/2025

In response to the increased avian influenza risk, an Prevention Zone is now in force across England and Scotland.

This means it is now a legal requirement for all bird keepers in England and Scotland to follow strict biosecurity measures to protect their birds, in addition to following any Protection/Surveillance Zone restrictions that apply.

See the latest press releases for more information:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-influenza-prevention-zone-declared-for-whole-of-england
https://www.gov.scot/news/avian-influenza-prevention-zone-2/

Please also see the biosecurity guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bird-flu-avian-influenza-how-to-prevent-it-and-stop-it-spreading
and GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/bird-flu for more information.

21/01/2025

In this video, the Surrey Poultry Vet explains how you can report suspicion of bird flu.

21/01/2025

Avian Influenza has been confirmed near Wem, North Shropshire, Shropshire.

If you fall within the 3km Protection or 10km Surveillance Zones, please ensure you’ve registered your birds & your details are up-to-date so we can tell you about bird flu risks.

See GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/bird-flu & GOV.WALES: https://www.gov.wales/avian-influenza-bird-flu for info.

06/01/2025

The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) is believed to have invaded Europe from Asia via the amphibian pet trade and has severely damaged the salamander populations there. While several studies have shown that members of the genus Salamandra are highly susceptible to Bsal, few studies have surveyed for the disease broadly. A study by Böning et al (2024) sampled Alpine salamanders (Salamandra atra and S. lanzai) in the mountains of the Alps in Europe. Ecological modelling shows that the Alps and Dinarides mountains, where Alpine salamanders occur, are generally suitable for Bsal, but this study found no evidence of Bsal. They a**lyzed skin swabs of 818 individuals of Alpine salamanders and co-occurring amphibians at 40 sites between 2017 to 2022. In addition, the study also includes data previously collected from 319 individuals from 13 additional sites, all of them found no Bsal infections. Their study suggests that the salamander plague so far is absent from the geographic ranges of Alpine salamanders. Thus, there is still a chance to implement surveillance and conservation strategies that could help thwart the effects of Bsal on native salamanders in the European Alps and Dinarides mountains.

Link to Species of the Week: https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Salamandra&where-species=atra

Leer en Español: https://bioweb.bio/faunaweb/amphibiaweb/Noticias

Link to Böning et al. 2024: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298591

31/12/2024

Weather warnings are in place this week for large parts of the UK which can worsen spread.

Where birds are housed, block up holes to keep out, ensure tarpaulin is well secured & strengthen weak areas on house roofs. Check for blockage drainage & clean & disinfect areas exposed to excess water.

Wild birds may move to different areas to avoid adverse weather. Make your premises unattractive to wild birds. Use bird scarers, foils or streamers.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bird-flu-avian-influenza-how-to-prevent-it-and-stop-it-spreading

23/12/2024

Housing measures to protect poultry & captive birds from are now in force across the East Riding of Yorkshire, City of Kingston Upon Hull, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

This means it is now a legal requirement for all bird keepers in these areas to house their birds, or where this is not practical, to take steps to separate them from wild birds. Keeping your birds undercover away from wild birds is vital to minimise the risk of them becoming infected with avian influenza by wild birds. But housing alone is not the only solution – it remains essential that you follow strict biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of disease spreading to your birds. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/housing-measures-introduced-in-the-north-east-and-east-to-protect-poultry-and-other-captive-birds

23/12/2024

Some people move plants and animals to or from their garden ponds. Translocations by garden pond owners might contribute to the spread of pathogens and species, but generally go undocumented. We therefore conducted an online survey targeting Dutch garden pond owners through various relevant communic...

21/12/2024

17/12/2024

Reptiles are often overlooked in conservation efforts and evidence for effective conservation actions that improve reptile habitat remains scarce for most species. Here we investigated the impact of ...

11/12/2024

𝑈𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑔𝑖𝑢𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑠, a new species of estuarine moray eel is described from Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, southern Indonesia, and Fiji. The new moray eel is named after Hades, the ancient Greek god of the underworld, in reference to its habitation in turbid estuarine waters, high sensitivity to light, and its uniformly dark colouration, reminiscent of the underworld god.

Open-access - https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/129685/

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
Description of a new uniformly brown estuarine moray eel (Anguilliformes, Muraenidae) from the Central Indo-Pacific Ocean

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Huang W-C, Hibino Y, Balisco RA, Liao T-Y (2024) Description of a new uniformly brown estuarine moray eel (Anguilliformes, Muraenidae) from the Central Indo-Pacific Ocean. In: Ho H-C, Russell B, Hibino Y, Lee M-Y (Eds) Biodiversity and taxonomy of fishes in Taiwan and adjacent waters. ZooKeys 1220: 15-34. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1220.129685

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
A new estuarine moray eel, 𝑈𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑔𝑖𝑢𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑠 sp. nov., is described based on 14 specimens from Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, southern Indonesia, and Fiji. It is a small-bodied, slender, uniformly dark-brown moray separated from congeners within the 𝑈. 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑟 species complex.

The new species can be distinguished from congeners by the anteriorly positioned small eyes (5.0–7.2% of head length), absence of branchial pores, and extended inner rows of teeth which reach the posterior end of the jaws. 𝑈𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑔𝑖𝑢𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑠 sp. nov. represents a rare species of moray eel that inhabits turbid estuarine environments, preferring soft, muddy substrates, and burrowing and hiding among rocks or in fallen mangrove leaves.

Additionally, 𝑈𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑔𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 Huang, Balisco, Evacitas & Liao, another species recently separated from the 𝑈. 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑟 species complex, is reported for the first time from Iriomote Island in the Ryukyu Archipelago based on two specimens; this new record expands the geographic range of 𝑈. 𝑚𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 from the central Philippines to southern Japan.

𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆
The new moray eel is named after Hades, the ancient Greek god of the underworld, in reference to its habitation in turbid estuarine waters, high sensitivity to light, and its uniformly dark coloration, reminiscent of the underworld god. A noun in apposition.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Top - Live photos of 𝑈𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑔𝑖𝑢𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑠 sp. nov. A NMMB-P039570, holotype, 349 mm TL, male B PNM 15806, paratype, 313 mm TL, female.
Bottom - Different habitats of 𝑈𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑔𝑖𝑢𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑠 sp. nov. A Oura River, Okinawa Island, photographed by Koki Takatsuki B Live photo of a U. hades sp. nov. hiding in gaps among mangrove aerial roots, taken at night at the edge of a mangrove forest zone along the Oura River, Okinawa Island, photographed by Hirozumi Kobayashi C Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, Palawan, photographed by Wei-Cheng Jhuang D Zhuan River, northeastern Taiwan, photographed by Shan-Yu Yang.

Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published in ZooKeys journal. This paper is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

11/12/2024

Three further cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 have been confirmed as follows:

• At a premises near Dereham, Mid Norfolk, Norfolk.
• At a second premises near Watton, Mid Norfolk, Norfolk (this was a slaughter on suspicion case initially declared on 09 December 2024).
• At a premises near Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire.

3km Protection Zones and 10km Surveillance Zones have been put in place around the premises.. All bird keepers should remain vigilant and follow stringent biosecurity measures to prevent future outbreaks.

Please check GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/bird-flu for the latest information about these cases.

09/12/2024

⁉️ I've disturbed an amphibian from hibernation, what shall I do with it? 🐸🦎
Amphibians are dormant in winter, taking advantage of milder patches of weather to come out and forage. For this reason, if you do disturb an animal in winter, it should be unharmed if covered up and left undisturbed. If you are unable to put the animal back where you found it, place it somewhere that offers protection from frost and garden predators like cats. Suitable places include log piles, under sheds or within your compost heap; it should not be somewhere 'warm', just a place that keeps free of frost.

Find answers to this and other frequently asked questions at www.arc-trust.org/FAQs

06/12/2024

𝐺𝑒𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎 𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑖 and 𝐺𝑒𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎 𝑛𝑖𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑒𝑠, two new species of vampire crabs are described from Java, Indonesia. These two semi-terrestrial freshwater crabs are well known in the aquarium trade and have been collected and sold in large numbers for several years under various trade names. However, their exact provenances were only recently established.

Open-access (direct PDF) -https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/11/RBZ-2024-0034.pdf

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
Two new species of vampire crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Sesarmidae: 𝐺𝑒𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎 De Man, 1892) from Java, Indonesia

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Peter K. L. Ng & Daisy Wowor, Two new species of vampire crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Sesarmidae: 𝐺𝑒𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎 De Man, 1892) from Java, Indonesia, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 72: 469–478, 27 November 2024, DOI: https://doi.org/10.26107/RBZ-2024-0034

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
Two new species of vampire crabs (𝐺𝑒𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎: Sesarmidae) are described from West and Central Java, Indonesia. The two species are well known in the aquarium trade and have been collected and sold in large numbers for several years, although their exact provenances were only recently established.

The two species are closely related to several other 𝐺𝑒𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎 species from Java, including two that are also widely traded, 𝐺. 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑒 and 𝐺. ℎ𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑛. The new species can be distinguished from all congeners by their distinctive colours and pattern in life as well as structures of the carapace, male chela, male pleon, and gonopods.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Live colouration of males. A–D, 𝐺𝑒𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑎 𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑖 new species; E–H, 𝐺. 𝑛𝑖𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑒𝑠, new species. All specimens not preserved. Photographs: A, E, F, Achmad Rian Dietra; B, Oliver Mengedoht; C, D, G, H, Chris Lukhaup.

Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology journal. This paper is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

06/12/2024

An outbreak of Avian Influenza (birdflu) has been confirmed at a premises near Watton, Mid Norfolk, Norfolk.

If you fall within the 3km protection zone or 10km surveillance zone, we need to know about you.

Please make sure you have registered your birds with APHA and your details are up-to-date so we can keep you informed of the risk from bird flu and so that essential surveillance activities can be carried out.

Find advice on how to prevent Avian influenza, register and protect your birds at: https://www.gov.uk/bird-flu

04/12/2024

Three-quarters of Australia’s freshwater fish species are found nowhere else. A team of 52 Australian freshwater fish experts undertook the first comprehensive assessment of these unique fishes, examining extinction risks and drivers of decline, before reviewing existing conservation measures.

Paywall - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320724004051
Sci-comm post - https://theconversation.com/troubled-waters-how-to-stop-australias-freshwater-fish-species-from-going-extinct-242950

The authors of this study found that more than one-third of Australia's freshwater fish are at risk of extinction, including 35 species not even listed as threatened. Dozens of species could become extinct over the next decade.

"The study also reveals Australia has been putting its eggs in the wrong basket for conservation by taking actions that don’t address immediate threats, such as pest species and changes in stream flows. Our research points to more effective solutions if governments are willing to step-up their efforts."

Factsheet from Biodiversity Council (AU) - Preventing extinctions of Australian freshwater fishes: A national assessment - https://biodiversitycouncil.org.au/resources/factsheet-preventing-extinctions-of-australian-freshwater-fishes

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
Troubled waters in the land down under: Pervasive threats and high extinction risks demand urgent conservation actions to protect Australia's native freshwater fishes

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Mark Lintermans, Maiko Lutz, Nick S. Whiterod, Bernd Gruber, Michael P. Hammer, Mark J. Kennard, David L. Morgan, Tarmo A. Raadik, Peter Unmack, Steven Brooks, Brendan C. Ebner, Dean Gilligan, Gavin L. Butler, Glenn Moore, Culum Brown, Rob Freeman, Adam Kerezsy, Chris M. Bice, Matthew C. Le Feuvre, Stephen Beatty, Angela H. Arthington, John Koehn, Helen K. Larson, Rhys Coleman, Rupert Mathwin, Luke Pearce, Zeb Tonkin, Andrew Bruce, Tom Espinoza, Pippa Kern, Jason A. Lieschke, Keith Martin, John Sparks, Daniel J. Stoessel, Scotte D. Wedderburn, Hugh Allan, Pam Clunie, Bernie Cockayne, Iain Ellis, Scott Hardie, Wayne Koster, Karl Moy, David Roberts, David Schmarr, Joanne Sharley, David Sternberg, Sylvia Zukowski, Chris Walsh, Brenton Zampatti, James J. Shelley, Catherine Sayer, David G. Chapple, Troubled waters in the land down under: Pervasive threats and high extinction risks demand urgent conservation actions to protect Australia's native freshwater fishes, Biological Conservation, Volume 300, 2024, 110843, ISSN 0006-3207, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110843.

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
We conducted the first comprehensive global assessment of the extinction risk of Australia's native freshwater fishes.

Using International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria, 37 % (88 species) of the 241 assessed species were threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable), with one being Extinct. Lepidogalaxiidae and Neoceratodontidae had the highest level of threat (100 %, both single species families), followed by Galaxiidae (78 % of 40 species), Percichthyidae (62 % of 22 species) and Melanotaeniidae (53 % of 19 species). Northern Australia supported greater species richness, while a concentration of threatened species occurred in the more human-populated areas across southern and eastern drainage divisions, including South West Coast (55 % of species assessed as threatened), Tasmania (54 %) and South East Coast (Victoria) (45 %). Most threatened freshwater fishes qualified for listing based on their restricted geographic ranges (Criterion B: 70 % of all assessments; Criterion D2: 7 %) although population size reduction (Criterion A) was identified in 21 % of species assessments.

Key threats to species included invasive and other problematic native species, genes and diseases (92 % of threatened, Near Threatened or Data Deficient species), natural system modifications (82 %), and climate change and severe weather (54 %). Despite the high level of extinction risk, implemented conservation measures for threatened species are presently very limited. A further 17 species were assessed as Near Threatened.

This study highlights the imperilled nature of Australian native freshwater fishes and emphasises that targeted conservation measures are urgently needed to avoid imminent extinctions.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Mapping freshwater fish extinction risk reveals fish are in danger right around Australia. M. Lintermans, N. Whiterod and J. Dielenberg, CC BY-SA.

Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published in Biological Conservation journal. This paper is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

02/12/2024

𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑑ℎ𝑎ℎ, a new species of damselfish is described from the mesophotic coral ecosystems of the Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Open-access - https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/126777/

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑑ℎ𝑎ℎ (Teleostei, Pomacentridae), a new species of damselfish from mesophotic coral ecosystems of the Maldives

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Rocha LA, Pinheiro HT, Najeeb A, Rocha CR, Shepherd B (2024) 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑑ℎ𝑎ℎ (Teleostei, Pomacentridae), a new species of damselfish from mesophotic coral ecosystems of the Maldives. ZooKeys 1219: 165-174. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1219.126777

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
A new species of 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠 (Teleostei, Pomacentridae) is described from four specimens collected between 95 and 110 m depth in mesophotic coral ecosystems in the Maldives, Indian Ocean.

𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑑ℎ𝑎ℎ sp. nov. can be distinguished from all of its congeners by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays XIII, 12–13; a**l-fin rays II,11–12; pectoral-fin rays 17–18; tubed lateral-line scales 17; gill rakers 7+17–18 = 24–25; pearly white body with a large black marking covering the anterior two-thirds of the a**l fin.

The closest DNA barcode sequence (5.1% average uncorrected genetic distance on the mitochondrial COI gene), among those available, is 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑠𝑖, a similar mesophotic species known from the coastal western Indian Ocean (Somalia to South Africa).

The new species is easily distinguished from 𝐶. 𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑠𝑖 by having 13 dorsal spines (versus 14 in 𝐶. 𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑠𝑖), the absence of a black band on the base of the tail (present in 𝐶. 𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑠𝑖), and by the genetic difference.

𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆
The work that led to the discovery of this species was funded by the Rolex Perpetual Planet initiative through a Rolex Award for Enterprises to LAR. To honor this initiative, we name this species “𝐶𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑑ℎ𝑎ℎ” (pronounced aa-BAH-duh), which means “perpetual” in Dhivehi, the local language of the Maldives. We also hope that this species and its habitat remain perpetual. To be treated as a noun in apposition.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑑ℎ𝑎ℎ in its natural habitat in Faadhippolhu Atoll, Maldives, at approximately 110 m depth. Photo by Luiz Rocha.

Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published in Zookeys journal. This paper is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

27/11/2024

NEW guide to managing urban habitats for butterflies! 🦋

Get helpful tips and management advice to provide the best habitat conditions for butterflies.

Download your free guide today 👇
https://butterfly-conservation.org/our-work/reports-and-factsheets/urban-habitat-resources

Thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund