Journal articles: 'Australian amphibians'

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Wynne, Felicity J. "Detection of ranavirus in endemic and threatened amphibian populations of the Australian Wet Tropics Region." Pacific Conservation Biology 26, no. 1 (2020): 93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc19009.

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The amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) has driven severe amphibian declines in the Australian tropics. These declines have resulted in species extirpations and extinctions, with many surviving in small, highly threatened populations. Despite the fragility of remaining populations, another group of lethal pathogens, ranaviruses, have rarely been investigated among native amphibians. Ranaviruses have previously been associated with fish, reptile and amphibian mortality events in Australia, yet remain poorly understood here, especially among amphibian hosts. Here, quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays were used to detect ranavirus presence from eight of 17 tested sites containing populations of endangered and critically endangered Australian frog species. Although present in these populations, ranavirus seems to be at the lower bounds of detectability of the assay, which makes firm diagnosis at the individual level unreliable. Repeated (n=14) detections of this pathogen, however, are highly indicative of its presence at each area where it was detected. Therefore, these populations are likely often exposed to ranavirus. The results of this study are not characteristic of populations experiencing rapid disease-associated die-offs or declines, but further investigations should be undertaken to examine the potential drivers of these pathogens to predict future emergence and potential threats to endangered Australian amphibians.

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Hero, Jean-Marc, Clare Morrison, Graeme Gillespie, J. Dale Roberts, David Newell, Ed Meyer, Keith McDonald, et al. "Overview of the conservation status of Australian frogs." Pacific Conservation Biology 12, no. 4 (2006): 313. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc060313.

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A review of the current conservation status of Australian amphibians was recently completed as part of a World Conservation Union (IUCN) sponsored Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA). Fifty of 216 amphibian species (23%) in Australia are now recognized as threatened or extinct in accord with IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Here we report on the categories and criteria under which individual species qualified for listing and provide a summary of supporting information pertaining to population and distribution declines. Major threatening processes contributing to listing of species are also reviewed.

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Maclaine, Alicia, Wytamma T. Wirth, Donald T. McKnight, Graham W. Burgess, and Ellen Ariel. "Ranaviruses in captive and wild Australian lizards." FACETS 5, no. 1 (January 1, 2020): 758–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/facets-2020-0011.

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Ranaviral infections have been associated with mass mortality events in captive and wild amphibian, fish, and reptile populations globally. In Australia, two distinct types of ranaviruses have been isolated: epizootic haematopoietic necrosis virus in fish and a Frog virus 3-like ranavirus in amphibians. Experimental studies and serum surveys have demonstrated that several Australian native fish, amphibian, and reptile species are susceptible to infection and supported the theory that ranavirus is naturally circulating in Australian herpetofauna. However, ranaviral infections have not been detected in captive or wild lizards in Australia. Oral-cloacal swabs were collected from 42 wild lizards from northern Queensland and 83 captive lizards from private collections held across three states/territories. Samples were tested for ranaviral DNA using a quantitative PCR assay. This assay detected ranaviral DNA in 30/83 (36.1%) captive and 33/42 (78.6%) wild lizard samples. This is the first time molecular evidence of ranavirus has been reported in Australian lizards.

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Harlen, Russell. "Herpetology in Australia: A Diverse Discipline." Pacific Conservation Biology 3, no. 1 (1997): 76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc970076.

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Herpetology in Australia was published as a companion volume to the proceedings of the Second World Congress of Herpetology, held in Adelaide in 1993?94. It does not attempt to pre-empt nor duplicate the information presented at that conference, but to provide an Australian overview of the study and management of Australia's reptiles and amphibians. As such, Herpetology in Australia also complements, rather than competes with, other key works, such as Cogger's Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia; herpetofaunal systematics and biology, including evolution, reproduction and behaviour, under both natural and captive conditions, are but minor elements of this collection.

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Warren, A. Anne, Ross J. Damiani, and Adam M. Yates. "Palaeobiogeography of Australian fossil amphibians." Historical Biology 15, no. 1-2 (January 2001): 171–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10292380109380589.

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Delvinquier, BLJ. "Myxidium-Immersum (Protozoa, Myxosporea) of the Cane Toad, Bufo-Marinus, in Australian Anura, With a Synopsis of the Genus in Amphibians." Australian Journal of Zoology 34, no. 6 (1986): 843. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo9860843.

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Myxidium immersum (Lutz, 1889), a gall-bladder protozoan parasite from South American Anura, is described for the first time in some Australian Anura. The cane toad, Bufo marinus, one of its natural hosts in South America, was introduced into Australia in 1935, and this led to the infection of native Australian frogs including: Hylidae, 12 species of Litoria; Myobatrachidae, four species of Limnodynastes, one each of Mixophyes, Ranidella and Uperoleia. Scanning electron microscope observations on the spore are reported. A synopsis of the Myxidium species in amphibians is presented. In explaining the present distribution of M. immersum in Australia, it is suggested that the life cycle of Myxidium species in amphibians involves an intermediate host which may become infected by swallowing trophozoites and spores; the tadpole may become infected by feeding on the intermediate host.

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Withers, PC. "Metabolic Depression During Estivation in the Australian Frogs, Neobatrachus and Cyclorana." Australian Journal of Zoology 41, no. 5 (1993): 467. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo9930467.

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The standard metabolic rate (SMR) of a number of species of Western Australian frogs is similar to that predicted for other anuran amphibians. The metabolic rate during activity is elevated 10-20 times above SMR, in close agreement with other studies of the energetics of amphibian activity. Species of two genera, Neobatrachus and Cyclorana, readily enter aestivation, which involves cessation of activity, formation of an epidermal cocoon, and depression of metabolic rate below SMR. The magnitude of metabolic depression varies between species from 70 to 80% (i.e. aestivation metabolic rate is 20-30% of SMR). The variation in magnitude of metabolic depression most likely reflects, in part, the difficulty of distinguishing the early stages of aestivation from the normal resting state. Both standard and aestivating metabolic rate are strongly mass-dependent, but the magnitude of metabolic depression is remarkably consistent in a number of different genera of frogs, salamanders and fish. The metabolic rate of aestivating amphibians is similar to that predicted for a unicellular organism of equivalent body mass, but is substantially lower than the metabolic rate of aestivating mammals.

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Mcilroy, JC, DR King, and AJ Oliver. "The Sensitivity of Australian Animals to 1080 Poison VIII.* Amphibians and Reptiles." Wildlife Research 12, no. 1 (1985): 113. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9850113.

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Amphibian and reptile species that have been tested in Australia are generally more tolerant to 1080 poison than are most other animals. The most common signs of poisoning amongst both groups of animals are a lack of movement or convulsions. Visible signs of poisoning first appeared from 13 h to almost 7 days after dosing. Deaths followed from 15 h to almost 22 days after dosing. It is unlikely that amphibians and reptiles face any direct poisoning risk from pest-poisoning campaigns involving 1080, given their high tolerance and the enormous amounts of poisoned bait that would have to be eaten. Some individuals, however, could be detrimentally affected through ingesting sublethal quantities of 1080.

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Bataille, Arnaud, Scott D. Cashins, Laura Grogan, Lee F. Skerratt, David Hunter, Michael McFadden, Benjamin Scheele, et al. "Susceptibility of amphibians to chytridiomycosis is associated with MHC class II conformation." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 282, no. 1805 (April 22, 2015): 20143127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.3127.

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The pathogenic chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) can cause precipitous population declines in its amphibian hosts. Responses of individuals to infection vary greatly with the capacity of their immune system to respond to the pathogen. We used a combination of comparative and experimental approaches to identify major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) alleles encoding molecules that foster the survival of Bd-infected amphibians. We found that Bd-resistant amphibians across four continents share common amino acids in three binding pockets of the MHC-II antigen-binding groove. Moreover, strong signals of selection acting on these specific sites were evident among all species co-existing with the pathogen. In the laboratory, we experimentally inoculated Australian tree frogs with Bd to test how each binding pocket conformation influences disease resistance. Only the conformation of MHC-II pocket 9 of surviving subjects matched those of Bd-resistant species. This MHC-II conformation thus may determine amphibian resistance to Bd, although other MHC-II binding pockets also may contribute to resistance. Rescuing amphibian biodiversity will depend on our understanding of amphibian immune defence mechanisms against Bd. The identification of adaptive genetic markers for Bd resistance represents an important step forward towards that goal.

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Barton, Diane P. "Ecology of helminth communities in tropical Australian amphibians." International Journal for Parasitology 29, no. 6 (June 1999): 921–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0020-7519(99)00057-0.

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Thomson, Keith Stewart. "The Origin of the Tetrapods." Short Courses in Paleontology 7 (1994): 85–107. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s2475263000001276.

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The origin of tetrapods is one of the longest standing (and still not fully resolved) fields in vertebrate evolution (Thomson, 1993). The discovery of living lungfishes in the nineteenth century sparked interest because of their apparent intermediate position between other kinds of fishes and amphibians. (As is well known, the South American lungfishLepidosirenwas actually first described as a degenerate amphibian.) The discovery of the Australian lungfish provided a direct link between a living form (a “living fossil” to use Darwin's term) and well-known Triassic fossils. The lungfishes therefore accorded well with Darwinian theory, just as didArchaeopteryx. The discovery of the living coelacanthLatimeriain 1938 continues to spark public interest (Thomson, 1991a).

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Nicolas, Violaine, Violaine Nicolas, Philippe Grandcolas, Violaine Nicolas, Philippe Grandcolas, Frédéric Braux, Violaine Nicolas, et al. "Recent species in old Islands: the origin of introduced populations of Litoria aurea (Anura: Hylidae) in New Caledonia and Wallis." Amphibia-Reptilia 36, no. 1 (2015): 65–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15685381-00002978.

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New Caledonia is a megadiverse tropical island in the southwest Pacific, however, inhabited by only one species of amphibian, Litoria aurea (Hylidae). We used both molecular (CO1 and ND4 gene sequencing) and morphometric data to explore its geographical origin and timing of colonisation. We tested whether this species arrived through transoceanic dispersal before human arrival in the island, or recently through anthropogenic introduction. We found a weak phylogeographical structure within this species, and lower haplotype diversity in New Zealand, New Caledonia and Wallis compared to Australia. No significant genetic differentiation was found between pairs of populations in New Caledonia and Wallis, or between pairs of population from these two islands. We observed a high level of morphometric differentiation between Australian and island populations, and a low level of morphometric differentiation between island populations. Our results support an Australian origin for insular frogs. The possibility of a trans-marine dispersal from Australia to New Caledonia and/or Wallis in-between the Eocene and the Pleistocene cannot be favoured, given the low level of genetic differentiation. Our results are consistent with a recent human introduction, most likely during European times. Our data support the historical absence of amphibians in the old island New Caledonia, and is consistent with the new biogeographical paradigm that this island was totally re-colonized after emergence in Eocene. More studies are necessary to explain the success of this frog in oceanic islands, where it is widespread and abundant, compared to Australia, where it is declining.

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Kay, Geoffrey M., Damian R. Michael, Mason Crane, Sachiko Okada, Christopher MacGregor, Daniel Florance, David Trengove, Lachlan McBurney, David Blair, and David B. Lindenmayer. "A list of reptiles and amphibians from Box Gum Grassy Woodlands in south-eastern Australia." Check List 9, no. 3 (June 1, 2013): 476. http://dx.doi.org/10.15560/9.3.476.

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A large-scale biodiversity monitoring program examining the response of herpetofauna to the Australian Government’s Environmental Stewardship Program is taking place in south-eastern Australia within the critically endangered Box Gum Grassy Woodland vegetation community. Field surveys involve counting reptiles in areas under Environmental Stewardship management. These “Stewardship” areas have been matched with areas managed for primary production (domestic livestock grazing). We list reptiles recorded during surveys conducted between 2010 and 2012. We recorded sixty-nine species from ten families. The list will be useful for workers interested in the zoogeographical distribution of reptiles and amphibians in fragmented agricultural woodland ecosystems.

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Marcotte, Isabelle, Kate L. Wegener, Yuen-Han Lam, Brian C. S. Chia, Maurits R. R. de Planque, John H. Bowie, Michèle Auger, and Frances Separovic. "Interaction of antimicrobial peptides from Australian amphibians with lipid membranes." Chemistry and Physics of Lipids 122, no. 1-2 (January 2003): 107–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0009-3084(02)00182-2.

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Howell, Lachlan G., Peter R. Mawson, Richard Frankham, John C. Rodger, Rose M. O. Upton, Ryan R. Witt, Natalie E. Calatayud, Simon Clulow, and John Clulow. "Integrating biobanking could produce significant cost benefits and minimise inbreeding for Australian amphibian captive breeding programs." Reproduction, Fertility and Development 33, no. 9 (2021): 573. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rd21058.

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Captive breeding is an important tool for amphibian conservation despite high economic costs and deleterious genetic effects of sustained captivity and unavoidably small colony sizes. Integration of biobanking and assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) could provide solutions to these challenges, but is rarely used due to lack of recognition of the potential benefits and clear policy direction. Here we present compelling genetic and economic arguments to integrate biobanking and ARTs into captive breeding programs using modelled captive populations of two Australian threatened frogs, namely the orange-bellied frog Geocrinia vitellina and the white bellied frog Geocrinia alba. Back-crossing with frozen founder spermatozoa using ARTs every generation minimises rates of inbreeding and provides considerable reductions in colony size and program costs compared with conventional captive management. Biobanking could allow captive institutions to meet or exceed longstanding genetic retention targets (90% of source population heterozygosity over 100 years). We provide a broad policy direction that could make biobanking technology a practical reality across Australia’s ex situ management of amphibians in current and future holdings. Incorporating biobanking technology widely across this network could deliver outcomes by maintaining high levels of source population genetic diversity and freeing economic resources to develop ex situ programs for a greater number of threatened amphibian species.

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Partridge, J. C., P. Speare, J. Shand, W. R. A. Muntz, and D. McB Williams. "Microspectrophotometric determinations of rod visual pigments in some adult and larval Australian amphibians." Visual Neuroscience 9, no. 2 (August 1992): 137–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0952523800009597.

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AbstractVisual pigments from the red rods of adults of eight species of Australian anuran amphibians, from a variety of habitats, were analyzed by microspectrophotometry. The λmax in all cases fell between 502 nm and 506 nm, and the absorption spectra were well fitted by an A1-based visual pigment template curve. Red rod pigments were also analyzed for a number of tadpoles. In some cases the data were best fitted with an A1based visual pigment template, in other cases with an A2-based template, and finally some tadpoles appeared to have mixtures of the two pigments.

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BAILES, HELENA J., ANN E. O. TREZISE, and SHAUN P. COLLIN. "The optics of the growing lungfish eye: Lens shape, focal ratio and pupillary movements inNeoceratodus forsteri(Krefft, 1870)." Visual Neuroscience 24, no. 3 (May 2007): 377–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0952523807070381.

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Lungfish (order Dipnoi) evolved during the Devonian period and are believed to be the closest living relatives to the land vertebrates. Here we describe the previously unknown morphology of the lungfish eye in order to examine ocular adaptations present in early sarcopterygian fish. Unlike many teleosts, the Australian lungfishNeoceratodus forsteripossesses a mobile pupil with a slow pupillary response similar to amphibians. The structure of the eye changes from juvenile to adult, with both eye and lens becoming more elliptical in shape with growth. This change in structure results in a decrease in focal ratio (the distance from lens center to the retina divided by the lens radius) and increased retinal illumination in adult fish. Despite a degree of lenticular correction for spherical aberration, there is considerable variation across the lens. A re-calculation of spatial resolving power using measured focal ratios from cryosectioning reveals a low ability to discriminate fine detail. The dipnoan eye shares more features with amphibian eyes than with most teleost eyes, which may echo the visual needs of this living fossil.

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McElhinny, C., P. Gibbons, C. Brack, and J. Bauhus. "Fauna-habitat relationships: a basis for identifying key stand structural attributes in temperate Australian eucalypt forests and woodlands." Pacific Conservation Biology 12, no. 2 (2006): 89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc060089.

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We review a representative sample of the literature concerning fauna-habitat relationships in temperate Australian eucalypt forests and woodlands as a basis for identifying some key stand structural attributes in these ecosystems. Our review identifies 56 studies in south-east and south-west Australia in which the presence or abundance of different fauna were significantly associated with vegetation structural attributes at the scale of a stand. The majority of these studies concern bird, arboreal mammal, and ground mammal habitat requirements, with relatively few studies addressing the habitat requirements of reptiles, invertebrates, bats or amphibians. We identify 34 key structural attributes from these 56 studies, by grouping similar attributes, and then representing each group with a single generic attribute. Relatively few of these attributes are incorporated into indices used to quantify fauna habitat. We highlight the need for a quantitative method for selecting which key attributes should form the basis for an index of structural complexity or other surrogate measure of faunal diversity.

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Jancovich, James K., Michel Bremont, Jeffrey W. Touchman, and Bertram L. Jacobs. "Evidence for Multiple Recent Host Species Shifts among the Ranaviruses (Family Iridoviridae)." Journal of Virology 84, no. 6 (December 30, 2009): 2636–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jvi.01991-09.

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ABSTRACT Members of the genus Ranavirus (family Iridoviridae) have been recognized as major viral pathogens of cold-blooded vertebrates. Ranaviruses have been associated with amphibians, fish, and reptiles. At this time, the relationships between ranavirus species are still unclear. Previous studies suggested that ranaviruses from salamanders are more closely related to ranaviruses from fish than they are to ranaviruses from other amphibians, such as frogs. Therefore, to gain a better understanding of the relationships among ranavirus isolates, the genome of epizootic hematopoietic necrosis virus (EHNV), an Australian fish pathogen, was sequenced. Our findings suggest that the ancestral ranavirus was a fish virus and that several recent host shifts have taken place, with subsequent speciation of viruses in their new hosts. The data suggesting several recent host shifts among ranavirus species increase concern that these pathogens of cold-blooded vertebrates may have the capacity to cross numerous poikilothermic species barriers and the potential to cause devastating disease in their new hosts.

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JAKES, K. A., P. J. O'DONOGHUE, and R. D. ADLARD. "Phylogenetic relationships of Trypanosoma chelodina and Trypanosoma binneyi from Australian tortoises and platypuses inferred from small subunit rRNA analyses." Parasitology 123, no. 5 (November 2001): 483–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0031182001008721.

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Trypanosome infections are often difficult to detect by conventional microscopy and their pleomorphy often confounds differential diagnosis. Molecular techniques are now being used to diagnose infections and to determine phylogenetic relationships between species. Complete small subunit rRNA gene sequences were determined for isolates of Trypanosoma chelodina from the Brisbane River tortoise (Emydura signata), the saw-shelled tortoise (Elseya latisternum), and the eastern snake-necked tortoise (Chelodina longicollis) from southeast Queensland, Australia. Partial sequence data were also obtained for T. binneyi from a platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) from Tasmania. Phylogenetic relationships between T. chelodina, T. binneyi and other species were examined by maximum parsimony and likelihood methods. The Australian tortoise and platypus trypanosomes did not exhibit any close phylogenetic relationships with those of mammals, reptiles or amphibians, but were closely related to each other, and to fish trypanosomes. This contra-indicates their co-evolution with their vertebrate hosts but does not exclude co-evolution with different groups of invertebrate vectors, notably insects and leeches.

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Bowie, John H., Kate L. Wegener, Brian C. S. Chia, Paul A. Wabnitz, John A. Carver, Michael J. Tyler, and John C. Wallace. "Host Defence Antibacterial Peptides from Skin Secretions of Australian Amphibians. The Relationship Between Structure and Activity." Protein & Peptide Letters 6, no. 5 (October 1999): 259–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/092986650605221117113359.

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Abstract: Peptides have been isolated and characterised from the secretions of skin glands of twenty five species of Australian amphibian. Many peptides are host defence agents, showing, for example, neuropeptide and/or antibacterial activity. This review describes the relationship between activity and structure of the antibacterial peptides, particularly the caerin and uperin groups of peptide from the genera Litoria and Uperoleia.

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Skerratt, Lee F., Lee Berger, Nick Clemann, Dave A. Hunter, Gerry Marantelli, David A. Newell, Annie Philips, et al. "Priorities for management of chytridiomycosis in Australia: saving frogs from extinction." Wildlife Research 43, no. 2 (2016): 105. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr15071.

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To protect Australian amphibian biodiversity, we have identified and prioritised frog species at an imminent risk of extinction from chytridiomycosis, and devised national management and research priorities for disease mitigation. Six Australian frogs have not been observed in the wild since the initial emergence of chytridiomycosis and may be extinct. Seven extant frog species were assessed as needing urgent conservation interventions because of (1) their small populations and/or ongoing declines throughout their ranges (southern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree, New South Wales), northern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne pengilleyi, Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales), Baw Baw frog (Philoria frosti, Victoria), Litoria spenceri (spotted tree frog, Victoria, New South Wales), Kroombit tinkerfrog (Taudactylus pleione, Queensland), armoured mist frog (Litoria lorica, Queensland)) or (2) predicted severe decline associated with the spread of chytridiomycosis in the case of Tasmanian tree frog (Litoria burrowsae, Tasmania). For these species, the risk of extinction is high, but can be mitigated. They require increased survey effort to define their distributional limits and to monitor and detect further population changes, as well as well-resourced management strategies that include captive assurance populations. A further 22 frog species were considered at a moderate to lower risk of extinction from chytridiomycosis. Management actions that identify and create or maintain habitat refugia from chytridiomycosis and target other threatening processes such as habitat loss and degradation may be effective in promoting their recovery. Our assessments for some of these species remain uncertain and further taxonomical clarification is needed to determine their conservation importance. Management actions are currently being developed and trialled to mitigate the threat posed by chytridiomycosis. However, proven solutions to facilitate population recovery in the wild are lacking; hence, we prioritise research topics to achieve this aim. Importantly, the effectiveness of novel management solutions will likely differ among species due to variation in disease ecology, highlighting the need for species-specific research. We call for an independent management and research fund of AU$15 million over 5 years to be allocated to recovery actions as determined by a National Chytridiomycosis Working Group of amphibian managers and scientists. Procrastination on this issue will likely result in additional extinction of Australia’s amphibians in the near future.

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Henderson, Wendy, Mary Bomford, and Phillip Cassey. "Managing the risk of exotic vertebrate incursions in Australia." Wildlife Research 38, no. 6 (2011): 501. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr11089.

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Context Biological invasions are a profound contribution to human-induced environmental change. Although intentional introductions of vertebrate species have largely declined, global transport and communication networks continue to increase. As a consequence, more goods are being traded and the type of species being transported has changed, as well as the associated risks. Aims To analyse the frequency, and provide risk assessments, for exotic vertebrate species detected by border and post-border Australian biosecurity agencies in the past decade (1999–2010). Methods We collated detection records by emailing or telephoning representatives from agencies responsible for implementing Australian biosecurity. We calculated the risk of successful establishment (low, moderate, serious, extreme) for 137 identified vertebrate species not currently established in Australia. Generalised linear models were constructed to test whether the frequency of increasing risk of establishment was associated with either differences between vertebrate classes and/or different detection categories. Key results The majority of species detected were reported from illegal keeping. Individual species risk assessments revealed that reptiles were more likely to be of greater risk for future establishment than were birds, mammals or amphibians. Controlling for taxonomy, high-risk species were not involved in larger (i.e. number of individuals) incidents than were lower-risk species. Across years, the number of novel exotic vertebrate species detected ‘at large’ in Australia has significantly increased. Conclusions Several of the species detected by biosecurity agencies have attributes that give them the potential to become pests in Australia. Preventing incursions is by far the most cost-effective way to prevent future pest damage. Implications It is clear that a nationally coordinated framework for data collection and data sharing among agencies is urgently required. We present a minimum framework for the future collection of inter-agency data, necessary to assess and monitor the ongoing risk of vertebrate pest incursions in Australia.

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Powney, G. D., R. Grenyer, C. D. L. Orme, I. P. F. Owens, and S. Meiri. "Hot, dry and different: Australian lizard richness is unlike that of mammals, amphibians and birds." Global Ecology and Biogeography 19, no. 3 (March 19, 2010): 386–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2009.00521.x.

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BEIN, BERNHARD, MALTE C. EBACH, SHAWN W. LAFFAN, DANIEL J. MURPHY, and GERASIMOS CASSIS. "Quantifying vertebrate zoogeographical regions of Australia using geospatial turnover in the species composition of mammals, birds, reptiles and terrestrial amphibians." Zootaxa 4802, no. 1 (June 22, 2020): 61–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4802.1.4.

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A geospatial analysis of 1,906,302 records of 1938 species of Australian vertebrates has shown that the original regions proposed in the 19th century, namely the Eyrean, Torresian and Bassian still hold. The analysis has shown that the Eyrean region has an east-west divide, forming two, possibly independent arid regions (Eastern Desert and Western Desert provinces), that are shaped by topography and rainfall. A revised and interim zoogeographical area taxonomy of the Australian region is presented herein.

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HARTIGAN, ASHLIE, IVAN FIALA, IVA DYKOVÁ, KARRIE ROSE, DAVID N. PHALEN, and JAN ŠLAPETA. "New species of Myxosporea from frogs and resurrection of the genus Cystodiscus Lutz, 1889 for species with myxospores in gallbladders of amphibians." Parasitology 139, no. 4 (January 19, 2012): 478–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0031182011002149.

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SUMMARYTwo new myxosporean species in the gallbladders of frogs have recently spread across eastern Australia and cause disease. Cystodiscus axonis sp. n. and Cystodiscus australis sp. n. are species of Myxosporea (Myxozoa) identified from a range of Australian frogs and tadpoles including the introduced Cane toad (Rhinella marina). The new species are defined by their distinct genetic lineage, myxospore morphology and ultrastructure of the pre-sporogonic development. Spores of both species are produced in the gallbladder. Spores of C. axonis sp. n. possess distinct filiform polar appendages (FPA). The pre-sporogonic development of C. axonis sp. n. is within myelinated axons in the central nervous system of hosts, as well as bile ducts of tadpoles. Pre-sporogonic and sporogonic development of C. australis sp. n. is confined to tadpole bile ducts and myxospores of C. australis sp. n. are devoid of FPA. The genus Cystodiscus Lutz, 1889 introduced for Cystodiscus immersus Lutz, 1889 is emended to accompany myxosporean parasites affecting amphibians previously classified in the genus Myxidium sensu lato. A synopsis of described species within Cystodiscus is provided.

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Englefield, Bruce, Melissa Starling, Bethany Wilson, Caidyrn Roder, and Paul McGreevy. "The Australian Roadkill Reporting Project—Applying Integrated Professional Research and Citizen Science to Monitor and Mitigate Roadkill in Australia." Animals 10, no. 7 (June 29, 2020): 1112. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani10071112.

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Australia has no national roadkill monitoring scheme. To address this gap in knowledge, a roadkill reporting application (app) was developed to allow members of the public to join professional researchers in gathering Australian data. The app is used to photograph roadkill and simultaneously records the GPS location, time and date. These data are uploaded immediately to a website for data management. To illustrate the capacity to facilitate cost-effective mitigation measures the article focuses on two roadkill hotspots—in Queensland and Tasmania. In total, 1609 reports were gathered in the first three months of the project. They include data on mammals (n = 1203, 75%), birds (n = 125, 7.8%), reptiles (n = 79, 4.9%), amphibians (n = 4, 0.025%), unidentified (n = 189, 11.8%) and unserviceable ones (n = 9). A significant finding is variance in the distribution of mammals and birds at different times of day. These findings reflect diurnal variation in the activity levels of different species and underline the need for data on a targeted species to be collected at appropriate times of day. By continuing to facilitate roadkill monitoring, it is anticipated that the data generated by the app will directly increase knowledge of roadkill numbers and hotspots. Indirectly, it will provide value-added information on animal behaviour, disease and population dynamics as well as for species distribution mapping.

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Reed, Robert N., and Scott M. Boback. "Does body size predict dates of species description among North American and Australian reptiles and amphibians?" Global Ecology and Biogeography 11, no. 1 (January 2002): 41–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1466-822x.2002.00260.x.

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Kappes, Heike. "Genetics and morphology of the genus Tritetrabdella (Hirudinea, Haemadipsidae) from the mountainous rain forests of Sabah, Borneo, reveal a new species with two new subspecies." Contributions to Zoology 82, no. 4 (December 20, 2013): 185–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/18759866-08204003.

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Blood-feeding terrestrial leeches of the family Haemadipsidae are a notorious part of the invertebrate diversity in Asian and Australian rain forests. All hitherto published records of terrestrial leeches of Borneo belong to the genus Haemadipsa. Here, a second, poorly known haemadipsid genus is reported from Mount Kinabalu and Crocker Range National Park. The individuals were barcoded and compared to sequences available in GenBank. The results show that the genus Tritetrabdella has representatives in the Indochinese and the Sundaic bioregions. All six specimens from Borneo are from a single new Tritetrabdella lineage, T. kinabaluensis spec. nov. Within the Bornean lineage, two groups differing 4-5% in the COI barcoding sequence were identified. Because 1) it is probable that haemadipsid COI is subjected to base pair substitution rates of 2.5% per Ma, 2) COI protein sequences were the same within the Bornean material, 3) color can change as a response to the environment, 4) the lineages inhabit different altitudes in separate areas and 5) only six individuals were found, a conservative approach was taken and the groups were tentatively given subspecies status: T. k. kinabaluensis ssp. nov. and T. k. inobongensis ssp. nov. The ecology and the conservation status of the Bornean Tritetrabdella warrant urgent assessment because the genus Tritetrabdella is considered as mainly feeding on amphibians and probably small mammals, and thus can be predicted to be sensitive to climatic fluctuations, forest disturbances and fragmentation, and amphibian decline.

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Silla, Aimee J., and Phillip G. Byrne. "Hormone-induced ovulation and artificial fertilisation in four terrestrial-breeding anurans." Reproduction, Fertility and Development 33, no. 9 (2021): 615. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rd20243.

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The development and application of reproductive technologies has great potential to enhance the conservation management of threatened amphibians globally. The present study quantified the efficacy of protocols previously developed for Pseudophryne guentheri for hormonally inducing egg release and artificial fertilisation in three additional terrestrial-breeding species of Australian ground frog; namely Pseudophryne bibronii, Pseudophryne coriacea and Heleioporus eyrei. Females of each species were administered a priming dose of 0.4µg g−1 of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa), followed by an ovulatory dose of 2µg g−1 GnRHa. Egg release was achieved in all species (response 94.7–100%), but early embryo survival differed significantly, ranging from 23.8% to 89.3%. Overall, the protocols were considered effective in P. guentheri, P. bibronii and P. coriacea, but further protocol refinement is required for H. eyrei.

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Henle, Klaus. "A hitherto overlooked type of colour change in frogs and its significance for the identification of species in the Australian genus Neobatrachus." Amphibia-Reptilia 31, no. 2 (2010): 283–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156853810791069146.

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AbstractColour change is a well-known phenomenon in many amphibians. Most of these changes involve transient darkening, lightening, or attainment of breeding colours. Nuptial calosities may become lighter outside the main breeding season. Depigmentation as an extreme form of lightening has been documented also for keratinized structures of tadpole mouths. Here I report a hitherto overlooked type of colour change: darkening of metatarsal tubercles from white to almost black. At Kinchega National Park in New South Wales, individuals of the Australian borrowing frog Neobatrachus pictus emerging from their aestivation burrows after rains had white outer metatarsal tubercles. Within a few hours to two days the metatarsal tubercles had turned completely black. This indicates that the extent of black colouration of the outer metatarsal tubercle hitherto used to discriminate the species N. centralis from N. pictus and N. sudelli is unreliable.

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Chia, Brian C. S., John A. Carver, Robyn A. Lindner, John H. Bowie, Herbert Wong, and Wilford Lie. "Caerin 4.1, an Antibiotic Peptide from the Australian Tree Frog, Litoria caerulea. The N.M.R.-Derived Solution Structure." Australian Journal of Chemistry 53, no. 4 (2000): 257. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ch99108.

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Caerin 4.1 (GLWQK5IKSAA10GDLAS15GIEVG20IKS-NH2) is an antibiotic peptide isolated from the Australian tree frog Litoria caerulea. Unlike caerin 1.1, the major peptide isolated from this species, caerin 4.1 has a narrow spectrum of antibiotic activity, e.g. it shows selective activity against Pasteurella haemolytica and Escherichia coli. Caerin 4.1 consists of 23 amino acid residues and is comparable in size with other wide-spectrum antibiotic peptides isolated from Australian amphibians, e.g. caerin 1.1 and maculatin 1.1. An n.m.r. study in trifluoroethanol/water indicates that caerin 4.1 forms an amphipathic α-helix with distinct hydrophilic and hydrophobic zones. Two regions of well defined helicity (from Gln4 to Ala10 and from Ile17 to Ile21) are separated by a central helical region of greater conformational variability. The enhanced disorder in this region arises from the presence of two central glycine residues at positions 11 and 16. However, the degree of disorder and hence flexibility is much less than in caerin 1.1 where central proline residues are present instead. This reduced central flexibility may account for the narrow spectrum of biological activity of caerin 4.1, i.e. because biological membranes of the various bacteria have different composition and topology, their optimal interaction with the relatively rigid caerin 4.1 peptide is not possible.

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Christian, Keith, and David Parry. "Reduced Rates of Water Loss and Chemical Properties of Skin Secretions of the Frogs Litoria caerulea and Cyclorana australis." Australian Journal of Zoology 45, no. 1 (1997): 13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo96046.

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We measured the rates of water loss in two Australian hylid frogs: the arboreal Litoria caerulea and the terrestrial burrowing frog Cyclorana australis. We measured the latter species with and without cocoons. Both species showed reduced rates of water loss compared with ‘typical’ amphibians that lose water as if from a free surface. Cocooned C. australis had very low rates of water loss. We examined the chemical composition of skin secretions rinsed (using only high-pure water) from both species and the cocoon material from C. australis. The chemical composition of the material from these three sources was generally similar and consisted of 5–10% neutral lipids and 78–85% proteinaceous material. The fact that the terrestrial species has a high resistance to water loss is unusual given that almost all other known species of non-cocooned frogs with reduced rates of water loss are arboreal. The chemical similarity of the skin secretions and cocoons from this species suggest that the reduced rate of water loss in this species is linked to its ability to form a cocoon. Amino acid composition of the material indicated that a sclerotisation process may occur upon oxidation of the secretions. This would result in a physical barrier to water loss in the cocoons and possibly a thin physical proteinaceous barrier on the skin of both species in the absence of cocoons. We suggest that the high proportion of proteins in the skin secretions cannot be ignored, and that it may, in conjunction with the lipids, produce an effective waterproofing barrier in both species. We suggest that chemical components other than lipids also may be important in frogs from other continents, and complete compositional analyses of frog ‘mucus’ are required before we can fully understand the nature of the mechanisms involved in reduced rates of water loss in amphibians with and without cocoons.

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Mueller, Casey A., Jean M. P. Joss, and Roger S. Seymour. "The energy cost of embryonic development in fishes and amphibians, with emphasis on new data from the Australian lungfish, Neoceratodus forsteri." Journal of Comparative Physiology B 181, no. 1 (July 30, 2010): 43–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00360-010-0501-y.

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Richardson, S. J., A. J. Bradley, W. Duan, R. E. Wettenhall, P. J. Harms, J. J. Babon, B. R. Southwell, S. Nicol, S. C. Donnellan, and G. Schreiber. "Evolution of marsupial and other vertebrate thyroxine-binding plasma proteins." American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 266, no. 4 (April 1, 1994): R1359—R1370. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.1994.266.4.r1359.

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Binding of radioactive thyroxine to proteins in the plasma of vertebrates was studied by electrophoresis followed by autoradiography. Albumin was found to be a thyroxine carrier in the blood of all studied fish, amphibians, reptiles, monotremes, marsupials, eutherians (placental mammals), and birds. Thyroxine binding to transthyretin was detected in the blood of eutherians, diprotodont marsupials, and birds, but not in blood from fish, toads, reptiles, monotremes, and Australian polyprotodont marsupials. Globulins binding thyroxine were only observed in the plasma of some mammals. Apparently, albumin is the phylogenetically oldest thyroxine carrier in vertebrate blood. Transthyretin gene expression in the liver developed in parallel, and independently, in the evolutionary lineages leading to eutherians, to diprotodont marsupials, and to birds. In contrast, high transthyretin mRNA levels, strong synthesis, and secretion of transthyretin in choroid plexus from reptiles and birds indicate that transthyretin gene expression in the choroid plexus evolved much earlier than in the liver, probably at the stage of the stem reptiles. NH2-terminal sequence analysis suggests a change of transthyretin pre-mRNA splicing during evolution.

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Weitzman, Chava L., Karen Gibb, and Keith Christian. "Skin bacterial diversity is higher on lizards than sympatric frogs in tropical Australia." PeerJ 6 (November 14, 2018): e5960. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5960.

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Animal skin acts as a barrier between the organism and its environment and provides the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Thus, skin surfaces harbor communities of microbes that are interacting with both the host and its environment. Amphibian skin bacteria form distinct communities closely tied to their host species, but few studies have compared bacterial communities between amphibians and other, non-amphibian sympatric animals. Notably, skin microbes on reptiles have gained little attention. We used next-generation sequencing technology to describe bacterial communities on the skin of three lizard species and compared them to bacteria on six cohabiting frog species in the Northern Territory of Australia. We found bacterial communities had higher richness and diversity on lizards than frogs, with different community composition between reptiles and amphibians and among species. Core bacteria on the three lizard species overlapped by over 100 operational taxonomic units. The bacterial communities were similar within species of frogs and lizards, but the communities tended to be more similar between lizard species than between frog species and when comparing lizards with frogs. The diverse bacteria found on lizards invites further questions on how and how well reptiles interact with microorganisms through their scaly skin.

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Walsh, Jessica C., James E. M. Watson, Madeleine C. Bottrill, Liana N. Joseph, and Hugh P. Possingham. "Trends and biases in the listing and recovery planning for threatened species: an Australian case study." Oryx 47, no. 1 (October 18, 2012): 134–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s003060531100161x.

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AbstractMany countries rely on formal legislation to protect and plan for the recovery of threatened species. Even though the listing procedures in threatened species legislation are designed to be consistent for all species there is usually a bias in implementing the laws towards charismatic fauna and flora, which leads to uneven allocation of conservation efforts. However, the extent of bias in national threatened species lists is often unknown. Australia is a good example: the list of threatened species under the Environmental Protection and Biological Conservation Act has not been reviewed since 2000, when it was first introduced. We assessed how well this Act represents threatened species across taxonomic groups and threat status, and whether biases exist in the types of species with recovery plans. We found that birds, amphibians and mammals have high levels of threatened species (12–24%) but < 6% of all reptiles and plants and < 0.01% of invertebrates and fish are considered threatened. Similar taxonomic biases are present in the types of species with recovery plans. Although there have been recent improvements in the representation of threatened species with recovery plans across taxonomic groups, there are still major gaps between the predicted and listed numbers of threatened species. Because of biases in the listing and recovery planning processes many threatened species may receive little attention regardless of their potential for recovery: a lost opportunity to achieve the greatest conservation impact possible. The Environmental Protection and Biological Conservation Act in Australia needs reform to rectify these biases.

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Gould, John, Chad Beranek, Jose Valdez, and Michael Mahony. "Quantity versus quality: A balance between egg and clutch size among Australian amphibians in relation to other life‐history variables." Austral Ecology 47, no. 3 (February 21, 2022): 685–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/aec.13154.

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39

Steinborner, ST, PA Wabnitz, RJ Waugh, JH Bowie, CW Gao, MJ Tyler, and JC Wallace. "The Structures of New Peptides From the Australian Red Tree Frog 'Litoria rubella'. The Skin Peptide Profile as a Probe for the Study of Evolutionary Trends of Amphibians." Australian Journal of Chemistry 49, no. 9 (1996): 955. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ch9960955.

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Seventeen peptides have been isolated and characterized from specimens of the red tree frog 'Litoria rubella', collected from 15 locations throughout Australia. These can be classified into two families of peptides, viz. ( i ) the tryptophyllins L, of which Phe Pro Trp Leu (NH2), Phe Pro Trp Pro (NH2) and pGlu Phe Pro Trp Pro (NH2) are the major constituents, (ii) two types of rubellidins, the first of which is unique to 'Litoria rubella' [e.g. Val Asp Phe Phe Ala (OH)], and the second [e.g. Gly Leu Gly Asp Ile Leu Gly Leu Leu Gly Leu (NH2)], containing peptides of the caeridin type (like those isolated from Litoria caerulea and Litoria splendida). These peptides show no significant antimicrobial activity. The tryptophyllins are thought to be neuromodulators or neurotransmitters, but the roles of the anionic rubellidin peptides in the amphibian integument are not understood. A comparison of the skin peptide profiles of live specimens of 'Litoria rubella' collected from different locations suggests that there are a number of discrete populations (perhaps different species or subspecies) in ( i ) an area from Kakadu National Park to the Adelaide River in the Northern Territory, (ii) in and around Alice Springs, (iii) in the north of South Australia, and (iv) in several areas of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. In addition, there appear to be evolving populations along the eastern seaboard of Queensland.

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Ujvari, Beata, Meri Oakwood, and Thomas Madsen. "Queensland northern quolls are not immune to cane toad toxin." Wildlife Research 40, no. 3 (2013): 228. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr13011.

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Context The release of the highly toxic South American cane toad (Bufo marinus) to the toad-free Australian continent in 1935, and their subsequent rapid spread over large areas of tropical Australia, has resulted in a massive decline of predators such as yellow-spotted goannas (Varanus panoptes) and northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus). In spite of dramatic declines of northern quoll populations in the Northern Territory, a few populations still persist in areas of Queensland where northern quolls have co-existed with toads for several decades. Aims To determine whether the remaining quoll populations in Queensland have evolved resistance to cane toad toxins. Methods The extracellular H1–H2 domain of the α1 subunit of the sodium–potassium-ATPase gene was sequenced in four Queensland as well as four Northern Territory quolls. The transcribed sodium–potassium-ATPase enzyme from this gene is specifically targeted by toad toxins. Key results In all of the eight quolls, the sequences representing the 36 bp of the H1–H2 domain of the α1 subunit of the sodium–potassium-ATPase gene were identical. Conclusions Our results showed that Queensland quolls have not evolved an increased resistance to the toad toxins. We therefore suggest that the persistence of northern quolls in a few toad infested areas of Queensland could to be due to a combination of optimal habitat quality, and concomitant large quoll numbers, as well as an aversion to feeding on these highly toxic amphibians. Implications We suggest that a sample of northern quolls from the Queensland populations should be captured and their response, as well as that of their offspring and grand-offspring, to cane toads should be investigated to guide management of this declining species.

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Myers, G. S. A., S. A. Mathews, M. Eppinger, C. Mitchell, K. K. O'Brien, O. R. White, F. Benahmed, et al. "Evidence that Human Chlamydia pneumoniae Was Zoonotically Acquired." Journal of Bacteriology 191, no. 23 (September 11, 2009): 7225–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jb.00746-09.

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ABSTRACT Zoonotic infections are a growing threat to global health. Chlamydia pneumoniae is a major human pathogen that is widespread in human populations, causing acute respiratory disease, and has been associated with chronic disease. C. pneumoniae was first identified solely in human populations; however, its host range now includes other mammals, marsupials, amphibians, and reptiles. Australian koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are widely infected with two species of Chlamydia, C. pecorum and C. pneumoniae. Transmission of C. pneumoniae between animals and humans has not been reported; however, two other chlamydial species, C. psittaci and C. abortus, are known zoonotic pathogens. We have sequenced the 1,241,024-bp chromosome and a 7.5-kb cryptic chlamydial plasmid of the koala strain of C. pneumoniae (LPCoLN) using the whole-genome shotgun method. Comparative genomic analysis, including pseudogene and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) distribution, and phylogenetic analysis of conserved genes and SNPs against the human isolates of C. pneumoniae show that the LPCoLN isolate is basal to human isolates. Thus, we propose based on compelling genomic and phylogenetic evidence that humans were originally infected zoonotically by an animal isolate(s) of C. pneumoniae which adapted to humans primarily through the processes of gene decay and plasmid loss, to the point where the animal reservoir is no longer required for transmission.

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Mcilroy, JC. "The Sensitivity of Australian Animals to 1080 Poison .9. Comparisons Between the Major Groups of Animals, and the Potential Danger Nontarget Species Face From 1080 Poisoning Campaigns." Wildlife Research 13, no. 1 (1986): 39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9860039.

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The sensitivity of a species to 1080 poison is difficult to predict from toxicity data for other, closely related species. LD*50s of practical use for evaluating the risk species might face from 1080-poisoning campaigns can be obtained for untested members of some groups by the use of either values for similar species, regression equations involving body weight, or the lower 95% confidence limits of the distribution of LD*50S of members in each group. Among the 171 species for which there are data there was considerable variability in the time until signs of poisoning became apparent (0.1 h- >7 days), the time to death (0.1 h- >21 days) and the time until animals began to show signs of recovery (2 h-18 days). Marsupial carnivores generally showed signs earlier and died or recovered quicker than eutherian carnivores, eutherian herbivores and the marsupial herbivores of eastern Australia, even though the last three groups have lower LD*5OS. Reptiles and amphibians generally were the slowest to show signs of poisoning, to die or to recover, and had the highest LD50s . All species in Australia for which toxicity data are available were ranked according to the percentage of their body weight they would have to eat of various poison baits to receive an LD*5O. Many non-target species require lower percentages than the target animals but the actual consumption of lethal bait may be affected by various factors. Finally, an evaluation is given of the major groups of animals potentially most at risk in 1080-poisoning campaigns in Australia, based on their susceptibility to 1080.

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Hadden, SA, and ME Westbrooke. "Habitat Relationships of the Herpetofauna of Remnant Buloke Woodlands of the Wimmera Plains, Victoria." Wildlife Research 23, no. 3 (1996): 363. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9960363.

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Twelve remnants of woodland dominated by buloke (Allocasuarina leuhmannii [A. luehmannii]) in the Wimmera Plains of Victoria, Australia, were investigated to evaluate the habitat relationships of the herpetofauna. Reptiles and amphibians were assessed by pitfall trapping, systematic searching and recording of frog vocalisations. Site characteristics that are likely to affect the species richness of herpetofauna in buloke remnants were determined. Nine reptile and 4 amphibian species were recorded from 6048 trap-nights and 216 h of systematic searching. A significant relationship was found between the herpetofaunal and reptile species richness and the level of past grazing pressure and vegetation understorey structure. No correlation was found between herpetofaunal species richness and the area of the remnant. Species richness of amphibians was best predicted by soil type. Habitat features associated with each species are presented. Implications for the management of remnant buloke woodlands and their herpetofauna are discussed and recommendations made.

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Brinkworth, Craig S., Tara L. Pukala, John H. Bowie, and Michael J. Tyler. "Host Defence Peptides from the Skin Glands of Australian Amphibians. Caerulein Neuropeptides and Antimicrobial, Anticancer, and nNOS Inhibiting Citropins from the Glandular Frog Litoria subglandulosa." Australian Journal of Chemistry 57, no. 7 (2004): 693. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ch03325.

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The host defence peptides from the skin secretions of the Australian Glandular Frog (Litoria subglandulosa) are similar to those of the closely related species Litoria citropa. Both species produce several potent caerulein neuropeptides and antimicrobial- and anticancer-active citropin peptides. The major neuropeptides from Litoria subglandulosa are caerulein 1.1 [pGlu Gln Asp Tyr(SO3) Thr Gly Trp Met Asp Phe–NH2], caerulein 1.2 [pGlu Gln Asp Tyr(SO3) Thr Gly Trp Phe Asp Phe–NH2], and caerulein 2.1 [pGlu Gln Asp Tyr(SO3) Thr Gly Ala His Met Phe–NH2], all of which are smooth muscle active. The major peptide, citropin 1.2 [Gly Leu Phe Asp Ile Ile Lys Lys Val Ala Ser Val Val Gly Gly Leu–NH2], is a wide-spectrum antibiotic and anticancer agent at the micromolar concentration. Citropin 1.2 also inhibits the formation of nitric oxide by the enzyme neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) at the micromolar concentration. Another peptide, citropin 2.2 [Gly Leu Ile Ser Ile Gly Lys Ala Leu Gly Gly Leu Ile Val Asp Val Leu Lys Pro Lys Ser–OH], also inhibits nNOS.

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Clemann, Nick, Michael P. Scroggie, Michael J. Smith, Garry N. L. Peterson, and David Hunter. "Characteristics of refugia used by the threatened Australian growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis) during a prolonged drought." Wildlife Research 40, no. 5 (2013): 385. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr13058.

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Context Because they are dependent on water, drought can have a deleterious impact on aquatic-breeding amphibians. One such species, the threatened growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis) occurs in south-eastern Australia, a region that has recently emerged from a decade-long, severe drought. Aims We aimed to identify features of drought refugia that facilitate persistence of L. raniformis, so as to provide guidance to natural-resource managers attempting to conserve populations of this species during drought. Methods We conducted repeat surveys for L. raniformis at 90 water bodies at the end of the ‘millennium drought’. We recorded the following six environmental variables for each water body: origin (natural or not), type (lotic or lentic), proportion of aquatic vegetation cover, conductivity of water, riparian tree-canopy cover and distance to the nearest woodland. We used occupancy models to relate the presence of L. raniformis to these variables, while accounting for uncertain detection. Key results Water-body type (natural or artificial, lentic or lotic) had minimal influence on the probability of occupancy by L. raniformis. We found a strong negative relationship between occupancy and conductivity of water (a surrogate for salinity), and a positive relationship between occupancy and the proportion of aquatic vegetation. We found a negative relationship between detection and the extent of aquatic vegetation, and a mildly negative effect of canopy cover on occupancy. Conclusions Habitat characteristics are more important indicators of the quality of drought refugia for L. raniformis than is the type of water body per se. Consequently, we identified aquatic vegetation and salinity as important targets for management when planning the retention, creation or restoration of habitat to facilitate persistence of L. raniformis during drought. Implications Our results highlighted aquatic vegetation and water-quality parameters that are likely to facilitate the persistence of L. raniformis during drought. Assessing the effectiveness of our recommendations in an experimental framework would ensure that conservation management of this frog can be refined over time.

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Mo, Matthew. "Reptiles and Amphibians on a University Campus in a Peri-urban Area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia." Reptiles & Amphibians 29, no. 1 (February 13, 2022): 122–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.17161/randa.v29i1.16317.

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Building upon a previous species inventory published in 2004 and based on observations between 2008 and 2011, I herein describe the reptile and amphibian assemblage on a university campus in the northwestern corner of the Sydney metropolitan area, Australia, recording 26 species of reptiles in nine families (Chelidae, Agamidae, Carphodactylidae, Scincidae, Varanidae, Typhlopidae, Colubridae, Elapidae, Pythonidae) and 13 species of amphibians in three families (Pelodryadidae, Limnodynastidae, Myobatrachidae). Included are records of the Macquarie Turtle (Emydura macquarii) and Eastern Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii lesueurii), neither of which were considered indigenous to the campus in the previous inventory, and one observation of two Ornate Burrowing Frogs (Platyplectrum ornatum), which previously were thought to be only historically present at the site. Seven species predicted to be present on the campus by the previous inventory were confirmed by observations in this study. These observations demonstrate how green spaces on the periphery of one of the world’s largest cities can harbor a diverse assemblage of reptiles and amphibians.

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Fu, Minjie, and Bruce Waldman. "Ancestral chytrid pathogen remains hypervirulent following its long coevolution with amphibian hosts." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 286, no. 1904 (June 5, 2019): 20190833. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0833.

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Many amphibian species around the world, except in Asia, suffer morbidity and mortality when infected by the emerging infectious pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). A lineage of the amphibian chytrid fungus isolated from South Korean amphibians (BdAsia-1) is evolutionarily basal to recombinant global pandemic lineages (BdGPL) associated with worldwide amphibian population declines. In Asia, the Bd pathogen and its amphibian hosts have coevolved over 100 years or more. Thus, resilience of Asian amphibian populations to infection might result from attenuated virulence of endemic Bd lineages, evolved immunity to the pathogen or both. We compared susceptibilities of an Australasian amphibian, Litoria caerulea , known to lack resistance to BdGPL, with those of three Korean species, Bufo gargarizans , Bombina orientalis and Hyla japonica , after inoculation with BdAsia-1, BdGPL or a blank solution. Subjects became infected in all experimental treatments but Korean species rapidly cleared themselves of infection, regardless of Bd lineage. They survived with no apparent secondary effects. By contrast, L. caerulea , after infection by either BdAsia-1 or BdGPL, suffered deteriorating body condition and carried progressively higher Bd loads over time. Subsequently, most subjects died. Comparing their effects on L. caerulea , BdAsia-1 induced more rapid disease progression than BdGPL. The results suggest that genomic recombination with other lineages was not necessary for the ancestral Bd lineage to evolve hypervirulence over its long period of coevolution with amphibian hosts. The pathogen's virulence may have driven strong selection for immune responses in endemic Asian amphibian host species.

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Rollins-Smith, Louise A., Patricia B. Smith, Anna M. Ledeczi, Julia M. Rowe, and Laura K. Reinert. "Caerin 1 Antimicrobial Peptides that Inhibit HIV and Neisseria May Spare Protective Lactobacilli." Antibiotics 9, no. 10 (September 30, 2020): 661. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics9100661.

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Although acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a manageable disease for many, it is still a source of significant morbidity and economic hardship for many others. The predominant mode of transmission of HIV/AIDS is sexual intercourse, and measures to reduce transmission are needed. Previously, we showed that caerin 1 antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) originally derived from Australian amphibians inhibited in vitro transmission of HIV at relatively low concentrations and had low toxicity for T cells and an endocervical cell line. The use of AMPs as part of microbicidal formulations would expose the vaginal microbiome to these agents and cause potential harm to protective lactobacilli. Here, we tested the effects of caerin 1 peptides and their analogs on the viability of two species of common vaginal lactobacilli (Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus crispatus). Several candidate peptides had limited toxicity for the lactobacilli at a range of concentrations that would inhibit HIV. Three AMPs were also tested for their ability to inhibit growth of Neisseria lactamica, a close relative of the sexually transmissible Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Neisseria lactamica was significantly more sensitive to the AMPs than the lactobacilli. Thus, several candidate AMPs have the capacity to inhibit HIV and possible N. gonorrhoeae transmission at concentrations that are significantly less harmful to the resident lactobacilli.

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Kearney, Brian D., Phillip G. Byrne, and Richard D. Reina. "Short- and long-term consequences of developmental saline stress: impacts on anuran respiration and behaviour." Royal Society Open Science 3, no. 2 (February 2016): 150640. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150640.

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Secondary salinization has been identified as a major stressor to amphibians. Exposure to elevated salinity necessitates physiological adjustments and biochemical changes that may be energetically demanding. As such, exposure to non-lethal levels of salinity during development could potentially alter anuran metabolic rates and individual performance in both pre- and post-metamorphic life stages. We investigated the effects of non-lethal levels of salinity on metamorphic traits (time to reach metamorphosis and metamorphic mass), tadpole oxygen consumption, escape response behaviour (pre- and post-metamorphosis) and foraging ability post-metamorphosis in two native Australian frog species, the southern brown tree frog ( Litoria ewingii ) and the striped marsh frog ( Limnodynastes peronii ). We found that both Lit. ewingii and Lim. peronii exhibited differences in metamorphic traits in response to elevated salinity. Neither species showed significant change in oxygen consumption during development in response to salinity, relative to freshwater controls. Both species displayed impaired escape response behaviours in response to salinity during larval development, but flow-on effects to adult escape response behaviours and foraging performance were species-specific. Our results show that the influence of stressors during development can have consequences for anuran physiology and behaviour at multiple life stages, and emphasize the need for studies that examine the energetics of anuran responses in order to better understand the responses of biota to stressful environments.

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Friend, Gordon R., and Kevyn M. Cellier. "Wetland herpetofauna of Kakadu National Park, Australia: seasonal richness trends, habitat preferences and the effects of feral ungulates." Journal of Tropical Ecology 6, no. 2 (May 1990): 131–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0266467400004235.

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ABSTRACTThe abundance and distribution of reptiles and amphibians inhabiting tropical monsoonal wetlands in Kakadu National Park, northern Australia, were monitored between late 1979 and 1982. Seasonal trends in species richness, and the influence of various environmental attributes (including those caused by feral ungulates) on species distribution patterns were also examined.These wetlands support a high proportion of the amphibian species known from the Park, but are of less importance to reptiles. Within the wetlands, the structurally more complex forested ‘margins’ support many more species than the treeless floodplains. Amphibian species distributions seem to be influenced primarily by elevation, through its effects on soil moisture and flooding levels, while reptile distribution patterns reflect a more complex set of environmental factors, with structural attributes (e.g. vegetation height structure and cover, refuge abundance, leaf litter cover and depth, extent of flooding) being of prime importance.Feral buffalo and pigs, through their grazing, trampling and wallowing, may considerably influence such structural attributes and change the duration and extent of water lie, and thus indirectly affect species distribution patterns. Current buffalo culling programmes provide an opportunity to monitor vegetation and faunal changes, and quantify feral animal impact post facto.

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Journal articles on the topic 'Australian amphibians'

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