Papers by Julián A. Rojas-Morales
ZooKeys, 2024
The genus Rhinella (Bufonidae) comprises 92 species of Neotropical toads. In Colombia, Rhinella i... more The genus Rhinella (Bufonidae) comprises 92 species of Neotropical toads. In Colombia, Rhinella is represented by 22 recognized species, of which nine belong to the Rhinella festae group. Over the past decade, there has been increasing evidence of cryptic diversity within this group, particularly in the context of Andean forms. Specimens of Rhinella collected in high Andean forests on both slopes of the Central Cordillera in Colombia belong to an undescribed species, Rhinella kumanday sp. nov. Genetic analyses using the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene indicated that the individuals belong to the festae species group. However, they can be distinguished from other closely related species such as Rhinella paraguas and Rhinella tenrec by a combination of morphological traits including the presence of tarsal fold, a moderate body size, and substantial genetic divergence in the 16S rRNA gene (> 5%). Through this integrative approach, the specimens from the Central Cordillera of Colombia are considered an evolutionary divergent lineage that is sister to R. paraguas, and described as a new species. Rhinella kumanday sp. nov. is restricted to the Central Cordillera of Colombia inhabiting both slopes in the departments of Caldas and Tolima, in an elevational range between 2420 and 3758 m. With the recognition of this new species, the genus Rhinella now comprises 93 species with 23 of them found in Colombia, and ten species endemic to the country.
Biota Colombiana, 2024
La serranía de San Lucas (Colombia) se considera de alto valor para la conservación de la biodive... more La serranía de San Lucas (Colombia) se considera de alto valor para la conservación de la biodiversidad, pero poco se sabe sobre su fauna. Entre finales de 2016 (lluvias) e inicios de 2017 (seca) se realizaron dos salidas de campo para caracterizar la fauna de anfibios y estimar su diversidad taxonómica en el río Cimitarra, al sur de esta serranía. Como resultado, se registraron 183 individuos pertenecientes a 23 especies, 15 géneros y 8 familias. Aunque la riqueza no difirió entre temporadas, la diversidad fue casi el doble en temporada seca que en la de lluvia, siendo el bosque natural fragmentado la cobertura más diversa con 14,2 especies (q1). La composición de anfibios fue diferente entre temporadas y coberturas, con altos valores de diversidad β debido principalmente al anidamiento en el ensamblaje. Los anfibios del río Cimitarra muestran un patrón de similitud con otras localidades dependiendo de su distancia geográfica. Estos resultados contribuyen con información para ser comparada con la diversidad de anfibios en áreas más intervenidas del Magdalena Medio y el bosque húmedo en general. Sin embargo, para San Lucas se debe analizar la dinámica espaciotemporal de los anfibios en una escala de tiempo mayor y evaluar las variaciones interanuales.
Mammalogy Notes, 2024
The Crab-eating Raccon (Procyon cancrivorus) is a mesocarnivore with a wide distribution in Colom... more The Crab-eating Raccon (Procyon cancrivorus) is a mesocarnivore with a wide distribution in Colombia, opportunistic frugivorous-omnivorous habits, and limited knowledge about its diet. In this work, by reviewing the stomach contents of a female P. cancrivorus run over on a secondary road in the municipality of Puerto Wilches, Santander, Colombia, new food items were recorded in the diet of the species. Two species of frogs were identified: Elachistocleis pearsei and Engystomops pustulosus, and fragments of individuals of the family Hylidae and Leptodactylidae were found. This work contributes to the knowledge of the diet and natural history of a common mesocarnivore species in our country and represents an opportunity to explore future research using road-killed specimens.
Reptiles & Amphibians, 2016
Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, 2023
Studying non-avian reptiles in the Colombian Andean region has encompassed various spatial scales... more Studying non-avian reptiles in the Colombian Andean region has encompassed various spatial scales and historical times. The knowledge of non-avian reptile diversity in the Department of Caldas (Central Andes; 7,888 sq. km. area; intricate geomorphology) has grown significantly in recent decades, especially in the areas to the east of the department within the Magdalena Valley and near Manizales, the capital city. Here, we consolidate the data from biological collections, literature, and unpublished research in a historical synopsis of the studies conducted in Caldas with an updated account of nonavian reptile species recorded in them. We found that the records of non-avian reptiles in Caldas trace back to pre-Columbian and colonial times, with specimens in biological collections dating back over a century. This non-avian reptile richness comprises 126 species grouped in 69 genera, 25 families, and three orders. Three out of the 27 municipalities in Caldas (La Merced, Marulanda, and Marquetalia) lack validated specimens or records. Furthermore, there is limited information regarding protected areas such as Los Nevados and Selva de Florencia National Natural Parks, which demands further research to unravel the diversity patterns of this biological group within this specific segment of the Andes.
Revista Latinoamericana de Herpetología, 2023
Biota Colombiana, 2023
En Colombia, los anfibios se posicionan como uno de los grupos vertebrados con mayor riqueza taxo... more En Colombia, los anfibios se posicionan como uno de los grupos vertebrados con mayor riqueza taxonómica, y una alta representatividad de especies endémicas. En los últimos años, las colecciones regionales han contribuido a llenar vacíos de información sobre la biogeografía, la variación intra e interespecífica y la sistemática de los anfibios del país. En este trabajo presentamos la información de 1533 registros depositados en la
Herpetology Notes, 2022
Caudal autotomy has evolved in lizards as a defensive strategy to avoid predatory events (Barr et... more Caudal autotomy has evolved in lizards as a defensive strategy to avoid predatory events (Barr et al., 2019, 2020; Brasileiro, 2021) or as a mechanism accompanying inter-and intraspecific territorial aggression (Montes-Gavilan et al., 2018; Bassett et al., 2021). Absence of the tail may reduce an individual lizard's fitness, as this state might affect locomotion and reproduction, and caudal regeneration therefore becomes and essential process in support of an individual's fitness (Barr et al., 2019). In cases where caudal autotomy is incomplete, failures in the regeneration process may lead to the development of a multiple tails and other tail abnormalities (Ramadanovic and Zimic, 2019; Vergilov and Kornilev, 2019; Barr et al., 2020). Such abnormalities occur mainly when one or more growth centres develop at the point of the incomplete tail fracture (Arnold, 1988; Ananjeva and Danov, 1991). Unusual tail morphologies have been reported in 175 species in 22 lizard families (Barr et al., 2020). In the family Dactyloidae, tail bifurcation has been reported for three species and one report for tail trifurcation exists (Table 1). For iguanids there are records of tail anomalies in the genera Amblyrhynchus, Ctenosaura, Cyclura, and Iguana (Table 1). Among teiids, there are records of tail bifurcation in the genera Aspidoscelis, Pholidoscelis, Teius, and Salvator (Table 1). Lastly, for gekkonids tail bifurcation has been reported in the genera Cyrtodactylus, Geyhra, Gekko, Gonatodes, Hemidactylus and Lygodactylus, in the case of the house gecko Hemidactylus frenatus Duméril & Bibron, 1836, exists records of tail abnormality's locations on several continents (Table 1). The limited records of tail abnormalities in anoles, iguanids, and teiids, suggested that tail bifurcation might be rare in these groups. Based on natural encounters and a review of preserved specimens, we here provide the first records of tail furcation in four lizard species from different localities in Colombia. Records of lizards with tail abnormalities came from several independent sources. One of us (IYMF) collected a specimen in semi-natural conditions in the western Andes. This specimen was fixed in 10% formalin, preserved in 70% ethanol, and deposited in the Collection of Reptiles of the Museo de Historia Natural of the Universidad de Caldas (MHN-UCa-R 657).
Journal of Natural History, 2013
In many frog species, males defend a territory through direct male-to-male interactions and/or ag... more In many frog species, males defend a territory through direct male-to-male interactions and/or aggressive calling behaviour. We describe the site fidelity, vocalizations, aggressive interactions, and male combat behaviour of the glassfrog Nymphargus grandisonae. We show high specificity of males' calling and mating sites. We then describe the temporal and spectral differences for six types of vocalizations. We link these vocalizations to behavioural observations, describing their aggressive and reproductive contexts. Additionally, we show that combat is highly variable and includes three previously described and two unreported variations. We describe injuries resulting from combat and we report the first observation of a multiple night fight between the same two males. Our observations on site fidelity and aggression provide evidence for territoriality among males. Furthermore, our results suggest that combat behaviour in glassfrogs is more complex than previously hypothesized and that hypotheses on the evolution of combat behaviour need re-evaluation.
Biota Colombiana, 2021
El conocimiento de los reptiles en Colombia es aún incompleto, aunque el país alberga una alta di... more El conocimiento de los reptiles en Colombia es aún incompleto, aunque el país alberga una alta diversidad de este grupo. En los últimos años, las colecciones regionales han contribuido a llenar vacíos de información sobre la biogeografía, la variación intra e interespecífica y la sistemática de diversos grupos. Presentamos aquí la información de 613 registros depositados en la Colección de Reptiles del Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad de Caldas. La mayoría de los registros (527) proceden del departamento de Caldas, pero se cuenta con registros de 15 departamentos más. El orden más representativo es Squamata (603 registros). La colección alberga 108 especímenes que han sido referenciados en 20 publicaciones nacionales y extranjeras.
Revista Latinoamericana de Herpetología, 2022
Resumen.-Durante muestreos de campo realizados en el año 2021 en el Valle Medio del Río Magdalena... more Resumen.-Durante muestreos de campo realizados en el año 2021 en el Valle Medio del Río Magdalena, Colombia, registramos un nuevo ítem dietario para la serpiente Epicrates maurus, consistente en la especie de roedor Zygodontomys brevicauda. Al momento de fotografiar la serpiente, ésta regurgitó el ratón parcialmente digerido el cual fue identificado a partir de sus caracteres dentarios y craneales. El presente registro contribuye al conocimiento acerca del espectro dietario de E. maurus en el norte de Sur América.
Reptiles & Amphibians, 2021
Revista Latinoamericana de Herpetología, 2022
Resumen.-Los sapos del género Rhinella son consumidos por una amplia variedad de depredadores tan... more Resumen.-Los sapos del género Rhinella son consumidos por una amplia variedad de depredadores tanto vertebrados como invertebrados. En esta nota reporto un comportamiento defensivo concerniente en la extensión rígida de las patas traseras en la especie Rhinella humboldti. Sugiero que dicho comportamiento puede estar orientado a facilitar el camuflaje y limitar la capacidad de ingestión de depredadores con bocas pequeñas, como algunas serpientes juveniles. Palabras claves.-Anuros, Colombia, comportamiento defensivo, relación depredador-presa.
Reptiles & Amphibians, 2022
More than 40 species of snakes inhabit the humid forests of the Middle Magdalena River Basin of C... more More than 40 species of snakes inhabit the humid forests of the Middle Magdalena River Basin of Colombia, yet studies on the basic aspects of snake ecology and natural history in this region are scarce. We searched for Ecuador Sipos (Chironius grandisquamis) during six years (2014-2019) of 6-24-day visual-encounter surveys by day and night in both rainy and dry periods. In 2,967 person-hours, we recorded 16 individuals, half during rainy and half during dry periods. Fourteen of the 16 encounters were in the evening and two in the morning. Snakes recorded during the day were foraging on the ground, whereas those recorded at night were inactive and perched in vegetation. Most inactive individuals had selected perches along streams flanked by riparian forests; ten were in shrubs and four in trees on branches 120-600 cm above the ground. We also record predation on a northern rainfrog (Craugastor metriosistus) on the forest floor during the day. HTTPS://JOURNALS.KU.EDU/REPTILESANDAMPHIBIANS Reptiles & Amphibians
Biota Colombiana, Jun 30, 2018
The first report of the Speckled Blunt-headed Tree Snake (Imantodes inornatus) is presented for t... more The first report of the Speckled Blunt-headed Tree Snake (Imantodes inornatus) is presented for the Magdalena River valley, from the departments of Antioquia, Bolívar, Boyacá and Caldas in Colombia. Since these records correspond to the biogeographic Magdalena province, the known range for the species is expanded. In Colombia, this is a trans-Andean species found from the Pacific rainforests of the Chocó region, through the northern portion of the Western and Central Andean ranges, to the middle Magdalena River valley.
Reptiles & Amphibians, 2021
Revista de la Academia de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, 2021
On the distribution of three exotic geckos of genus Hemidactylus Gray, 1825 (Squamata, Gekkonidae... more On the distribution of three exotic geckos of genus Hemidactylus Gray, 1825 (Squamata, Gekkonidae), and an unusual record of the native lizard Gymnophthalmus speciosus (Hallowell, 1861) outside its elevational range in Colombia Sobre la distribución de tres geckos exóticos del género Hemidactylus Gray, 1825 (Squamata, Gekkonidae) y un registro inusual del lagarto nativo Gymnophthalmus speciosus (Hallowell, 1861) fuera de su intervalo altitudinal en Colombia
Biota Colombiana, 2021
We describe the advertisement call of seven males and observations on the natural history related... more We describe the advertisement call of seven males and observations on the natural history related to the parental attention by males, of a population of nurse frogs attributed to the Leucostethus fraterdanieli complex from the
Central Cordillera in the Department of Caldas, Colombia. The advertisement call consists of a long sequence
of repeated (x̅ = 143 notes.min-1) pulsed notes, which have an average duration of 79 ± 17 ms (range 63-122 ms),
separated by time intervals between 187-413 ms (289 ± 67 ms). The dominant frequency values are in the range
between 3209-3520 Hz. Our results suggest differences in temporal and spectral parameters between the population studied and other populations assigned to L. fraterdanieli, L. brachistriatus, and the recently described L. jota.
Phyllomedusa, 2020
Predicting distributions of rare species: the case of the false coral snake Rhinobothryum bovalli... more Predicting distributions of rare species: the case of the false coral snake Rhinobothryum bovallii (Serpentes: Colubridae). Typically, the lack of enough high-quality occurrence data makes it difficult to define the geographic distribution of rare species. However, species distribution models provide a powerful tool for biodiversity management, including efforts to predict the distributions of rare species. Herein, new and historical data are used to model the distribution of the False Tree Coral snake, Rhinobothryum bovallii. The prediction map reveals a disjunct distribution for this species, from the Central American Isthmus to the northwestern portion of South America, with the species occupying lowlands and premontane forests below about 1500 m elevation. We identified 491,516 km 2 of suitable habitat for R. bovallii (minimum training presence threshold of 0.424) and 59,353 km 2 of core habitat, with concentrations in three relatively isolated core areas (10-percentile training presence threshold of 0.396), as follow: (1) a "northern core" along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Panama; (2) a "central core" in the Middle Magdalena Valley in Colombia; and (3) a "southern core" in the Ecuadorian Chocó. The occurrence of this species has a strong positive association with low precipitation seasonality, high precipitation in the warmest quarter, and low variability in annual temperature. Xeric and semiarid areas are unsuitable for this species and may pose environmental barriers limiting its distributional range. These results may lead to the discovery of additional populations of R. bovallii, identify priority survey areas, and by determining the extent of its natural habitat promote effective conservation strategies. Resumo Prevendo distribuições de espécies raras: o caso da falsa cobra coral Rhinobothryum bovallii (Serpentes: Colubridae). Normalmente, a falta de dados de ocorrência de alta qualidade suficientes torna difícil definir a distribuição geográfica de espécies raras. No entanto, os modelos de distribuição de espécies fornecem uma ferramenta poderosa para a gestão da biodiversidade, incluindo esforços para prever a distribuição de espécies raras. Aqui, dados novos e históricos são usados para modelar a distribuição da serpente Rhinobothryum bovallii. O mapa de previsão revela uma distribuição disjunta para essa espécie, do Istmo da América Central à porção noroeste da América do Sul, com a espécie ocupando terras baixas e florestas pré-montanas abaixo de cerca de 1.500 m de altitude. Identificamos 491.516 km 2 de habitat adequado para R. bovallii (limite de corte de presença mínima de treino de 0,424) e 59.353 km 2 de habitat central, com concentrações em três áreas centrais relativamente isoladas (limite de corte de 10-percentil de presença de treino de 0,396), como segue: (1) um "núcleo norte" ao longo das costas do Pacífico e do Caribe do Panamá; (2) um "núcleo central" no Vale do Médio Magdalena, na Colômbia; e (3) um "núcleo sul" no Chocó equatoriano. A ocorrência dessa espécie tem forte associação positiva com a baixa sazonalidade da precipitação, alta precipitação no trimestre mais quente e baixa variabilidade na temperatura anual. Áreas xéricas e semiáridas são inadequadas para essa espécie e podem representar barreiras ambientais que limitam sua faixa de distribuição. Esses resultados podem levar à descoberta de populações adicionais de R. bovallii, identificar áreas prioritárias de levantamento e, ao determinar a extensão de seu habitat natural, promover estratégias de conservação eficazes. Palavras-chave: áreas centrais de habitat, distribuição disjunta, habitat marginal, modelos de distribuição de espécies.
Uploads
Papers by Julián A. Rojas-Morales
Central Cordillera in the Department of Caldas, Colombia. The advertisement call consists of a long sequence
of repeated (x̅ = 143 notes.min-1) pulsed notes, which have an average duration of 79 ± 17 ms (range 63-122 ms),
separated by time intervals between 187-413 ms (289 ± 67 ms). The dominant frequency values are in the range
between 3209-3520 Hz. Our results suggest differences in temporal and spectral parameters between the population studied and other populations assigned to L. fraterdanieli, L. brachistriatus, and the recently described L. jota.
Central Cordillera in the Department of Caldas, Colombia. The advertisement call consists of a long sequence
of repeated (x̅ = 143 notes.min-1) pulsed notes, which have an average duration of 79 ± 17 ms (range 63-122 ms),
separated by time intervals between 187-413 ms (289 ± 67 ms). The dominant frequency values are in the range
between 3209-3520 Hz. Our results suggest differences in temporal and spectral parameters between the population studied and other populations assigned to L. fraterdanieli, L. brachistriatus, and the recently described L. jota.