We opportunistically observed a nest pair of scarlet-backed flowerpeckers () for 5 days during the fledging period in late February 2020 within the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. We observed both parents feeding the fledgling, with either parent returning within 3-20 min of leaving to forage. Over 5 days, both parents fed the fledgling green mistletoe fruits ( [L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRitualistic male-male combat is exhibited by several snake species, and is accepted as a given natural history trait for king cobras. However, there are no detailed accounts of combat behavior in king cobras in the primary literature, despite this understanding and anecdotal reporting (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSustainable forestry typically involves integration of several economic and ecological objectives which, at times, may not be compatible with one another. Multi-objective prioritization via harvest scheduling programs can be used to elucidate these relationships and explore solutions. One such program is a spatially explicit harvest scheduler that adopts the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm to iteratively find management solutions to achieve multiple objectives (Habplan).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBetter understanding how organisms respond to their abiotic environment, especially at the biochemical level, is critical in predicting population trajectories under climate change. In this study, we measured constitutive stress biomarkers and protein post-translational modifications associated with oxidative stress in Gallotia galloti, an insular lizard species inhabiting highly heterogeneous environments on Tenerife. Tenerife is a small volcanic island in a relatively isolated archipelago off the West coast of Africa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAmblyomma helvolum is a widespread, generalist ectoparasite of reptiles in the oriental region, and has the potential to become highly invasive should it be inadvertently introduced outside its native range through the exotic pet trade. All life stages of A. helvolum are re-characterised morphologically and the first examples of nanism (dwarfism) and gynandromorphy (male and female tissue in one animal) for the species are described.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlobal road networks continue to expand, and the wildlife responses to these landscape-level changes need to be understood to advise long-term management decisions. Roads have high mortality risk to snakes because snakes typically move slowly and can be intentionally targeted by drivers.We investigated how radio-tracked King Cobras () traverse a major highway in northeast Thailand, and if reproductive cycles were associated with road hazards.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimal movement and resource use are tightly linked. Investigating these links to understand how animals use space and select habitats is especially relevant in areas affected by habitat fragmentation and agricultural conversion. We set out to explore the space use and habitat selection of Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in a heterogenous, agricultural landscape within the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, northeast Thailand.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2021
Identifying individuals with natural markings is increasing in popularity to non-invasively support population studies. However, applying natural variation among individuals requires careful evaluation among target species, snakes for example have little validation of such methods. Here we introduce a mark-free identification method for King Cobras (Ophiophagus hannah) from the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, in northeast Thailand using both subcaudal scale pholidosis (scale arrangement and number) and unique ventral body markings to distinguish individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Studying animal movement provides insights into how animals react to land-use changes. As agriculture expands, we can use animal movement to examine how animals change their behaviour in response. Recent reviews show a tendency for mammalian species to reduce movements in response to increased human landscape modification, but reptile movements have not been as extensively studied.
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