The amphibians and reptiles of Luzon Island, Philippines, VIII: the herpetofauna of Cagayan and Isabela Provinces, northern Sierra Madre Mountain Range

The amphibians and reptiles of Luzon Island, Philippines, VIII: the herpetofauna of Cagayan and Isabela Provinces, northern Sierra Madre Mountain Range
Author: Rafe M. Brown
Publisher: PenSoft Publishers LTD
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2013-02-07
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9546426695

Long celebrated for its more than 7,100 islands, the Philippines is a country in Southeast Asia that shares only with Madagascar the distinction of having been designated as both a Megadiverse Nation and a Global Biodiversity Conservation Hotspot. The terrestrial vertebrate fauna of the northeastern Philippines, specifically Luzon Island, has been the subject of intense interest since the first historical explorations. Historically, numerous works considered the biodiversity of Luzon as ?depauperate? in the sense that they was presumed to contain a reduced number of species shared with a continental mainland source. This view has persisted until recently, when a renewed interest in faunistic studies of the northern Philippines has produced a series of notable discoveries, drawing attention to high levels of species diversity and endemism in the northern reaches of the archipelago. We provide the first report on the herpetological biodiversity (amphibians and reptiles) of the northern Sierra Madre Mountain Range, northeast Luzon Island, Philippines. We combine new and historical data, and the results of recent fieldwork, to highlight at least 101 species present in this unique region of the archipelago. Not only is this fauna largely endemic (approximately 70%), but also our results add to a nascent body of literature suggesting that the northern portions of the archipelago may be substantially more diverse than currently appreciated.

Biogeography of Australasia

Biogeography of Australasia
Author: Michael Heads
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 507
Release: 2014
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1107041023

A fascinating analysis of the main patterns of distribution and evolution of the Australasian biota.

Amazon Fish Parasites

Amazon Fish Parasites
Author: Vernon Everett Thatcher
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Total Pages: 510
Release: 2006
Genre: Fishes
ISBN: 9546422584

The velvet spiders: an atlas of the Eresidae (Arachnida, Araneae)

The velvet spiders: an atlas of the Eresidae (Arachnida, Araneae)
Author: Jeremy A. Miller
Publisher: PenSoft Publishers LTD
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2012-05-18
Genre: Velvet spiders
ISBN: 9546426385

The name velvet spider describes the dark and shiny appearance of members of the family Eresidae. Some species also have brightly-colored highlights, such as the red, white, and black ladybird spiders of Europe and North Asia. This family also includes some of the world?s most cooperative spider species. Social species can be very abundant in parts of tropical Africa and Asia with conspicuous colonies dotting the landscape. Social colonies may consist of hundreds of closely-related individuals that participate in dramatic mass attacks on prey and care for their young. The ecology of these social species is fascinating and has been the subject of several landmark scientific papers. By contrast, most kinds of velvet spider are rarely encountered. Most species keep well hidden or dig burrows and live underground. This monograph provides a generic-level review of Eresidae documented with collections of photographs, scanning electron micrographs, and illustrations. A key to the nine genera and other major lineages is provided. A new phylogeny of Eresidae based on molecular sequence data expands on a previously published analysis. Cybertaxonomic enhancements include an interactive map of the specimens used in the study explorable using Google Earth, specimen records uploaded to GBIF, and molecular sequence alignments and other data archived on Dryad. An EDIT Integrated Research grant provided principal funding for this project.

Philippine Amphibians

Philippine Amphibians
Author: Angel C. Alcala
Publisher: Bookmark Publishing (NY)
Total Pages: 116
Release: 1998-01-01
Genre: Amphibians
ISBN: 9789715693141