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For many taxa, new records of non-native introductions globally occur at a near exponential rate. We undertook a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications on non-native herpetofauna, to assess the information base available for assessing risks of future invasions, resulting in 836 relevant papers. The taxonomic and geographic scope of the literature was also compared to a published database of all known invasions globally. We found 1,116 species of herpetofauna, 95% of which were present in fewer than 12 studies. Nearly all literature on the invasion ecology of herpetofauna has appeared since 2000, with a strong focus on frogs (58%), particularly cane toads (Rhinella marina) and their impacts in Australia. While fewer papers have been published on turtles and snakes, proportionately more species from both these groups have been studied than for frogs. Within each herpetofaunal group, there are a handful of well-studied species: R. marina, Lithobates catesbeianus, Xenopus laevis, Trachemys scripta, Boiga irregularis and Anolis sagrei. Most research (416 papers; 50%) has addressed impacts, with far fewer studies on aspects like trade (2%). Besides Australia (213 studies), most countries have little location-specific peer-reviewed literature on non-native herpetofauna (on average 1.1 papers per established species). Other exceptions were Guam, the UK, China, California and France, but even their publication coverage across established species was not even. New methods for assessing and prioritizing invasive species such as the Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa provide useful frameworks for risk assessment, but require robust species-level studies. Global initiatives, similar to the Global Amphibian Assessment, using the species and taxonomic groups identified here, are needed to derive the level of information across broad geographic ranges required to apply these frameworks. Expansive studies on model species can be used to indicate productive research foci for understudied taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a review of reptile research in Malaysia from the years 2000–2020 to reveal trends and biases that can be leveraged to improve future research and conservation initiatives. Overall, the number of papers published shows an upward trend with an average of 10.1 papers published per year. The clear majority of papers published throughout 2000–2020 were in the field of Systematics (45%, 96 papers), followed by Inventories (32%, 67 papers), Ecology (20%, 43 papers), and Conservation (3%, 6 papers). Within the Systematics category, most papers published between 2000–2011 were solely based on morphology, while integrative taxonomic studies (morphology + DNA) began to dominate from 2012 onwards. When analysed by location, most studies were conducted in Peninsular Malaysia and its associated offshore islands (78%) while the remaining 22% of studies were exclusive to Malaysian Borneo. Our results showed that research is heterogeneous across categories, focal taxa, methods, and location. Some of these biases are inherent to the nature of the study, while others represent areas for improvement. One obvious area that could be improved is the field of conservation, which constitutes only 3% of the studies and has so far focused almost exclusively on turtles. This study highlights gaps and deficiencies in research foci and provides a roadmap for future reptile research planning in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When backcrosses are fertile, interbreeding between endangered taxa can lead to the admixture of gene pools under threat. One such case pertains to the Mesoamerican crocodile Crocodylus moreletii, a species which shows strong signatures of both recent hybridisation and historic intogression with the American crocodile C. acutus across large parts of its range. In the present paper, we use RAD-seq derived SNPs (4980 nuclear and seven mtDNA loci) to demonstrate that C. moreletii populations inhabiting the region of Calakmul in central Yucatan (Mexico) are rather unaffected by hybridization, despite being surrounded by coastal areas where pervasive admixture has previously been documented. All (based on fastSTRUCTURE) and 96% (based on NGSadmix) of 84 genotyped individuals from 18 sampled waterbodies (locally termed aguadas) were free from nuclear introgression of C. acutus DNA at at threshold of 0.95. Seven individuals (8%) possessed a C. acutus mtDNA haplotype, five of which were derived from two adjacent, rather peripheral aguadas. Spatial inferences based on a DAPC and fineRADstructure further showed that the region of Calakmul is inhabited by three genetic clusters spanning across a set of distinct aguadas each. Taken together, our findings reveal that central Yucatan contains the currently largest documented stronghold of C. moreletii populations only marginally affected by introgression, which has major implications for the conservation management of this important flagship species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Genero is the property of Genero and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper argues that compassion for wild animals and the humans living alongside them should be integral to wildlife conservation. Nowhere is this more apparent than in predator conservation, and case studies are used to explore the consequences of wild animal attacks for human victims. Some arguments for extending compassionate consideration to animals seen as individuals are considered, along with the challenges these pose for predator conservation. A way forward from this apparent impasse is suggested, drawing on the capacity approach to embrace human with animal actors. The paper concludes with implications for predator conservation and recommendations, including incident responses sensitive to the traumatic impacts of attacks, and more collaborative approaches to handling human-wildlife interactions taking account of the capacities of local humans and wildlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genuine leather manufacturing is a multibillion-dollar industry that processes animal hides from varying types of animals such as sheep, alligator, goat, ostrich, crocodile, and cow. Due to the industry's immense scale, there may be numerous unavoidable causes of damages, leading to surface defects that occur during both the manufacturing process and the bovine's own lifespan. Owing to the heterogenous and manifold nature of leather surface characteristics, great difficulties can arise during the visual inspection of raw materials by human inspectors. To mitigate the industry's challenges in the quality control process, this paper proposes the application of a modern vision transformer (ViT) architecture for the purposes of low-resolution image-based anomaly detection for defect localisation as a means of leather surface defect classification. Utilising the low-resolution defective and non-defective images found in the opensource Leather Defect detection and Classification dataset and higher-resolution MVTec AD anomaly benchmarking dataset, three configurations of the vision transformer and three deep learning (DL) knowledge transfer methods are compared in terms of performance metrics as well as in leather defect classification and anomaly localisation. Experiments show the proposed ViT method outperforms the light-weight state-of-the-art methods in the field in the aspect of classification accuracy. Besides the classification, the low computation load and low requirements for image resolution and size of training samples are also advantages of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The versification of Nigerian Civil War poetry which started during and immediately after the civil war in 1970 has continued to resonate in the writings of the Niger Delta poets even in the present twenty first century. In Nigeria as a whole, the pioneers in war poetry include Wole Soyinka, J. P. Clark, Christopher Okigbo and Essie Enekwe. Like the above poets, the poets from the Niger Delta area of Nigeria have also continued to vent their anger on the devastating effects of the war on the people of that region. These poets have shown their sense of history through the documentation of the harrowing and bitter experiences of the casualties of the war which has been aptly described as the ugliest episode in the history of postcolonial Nigeria. Not only that, its literature has been portrayed as the most recurring theme in Nigerian literature. This paper attempts to re-affirm that even in the new millennium, Niger Delta poets have, unabatedly, reminded us of the genocide, rape and torture that greeted the war. The paper also attempts to show that the present prevailing scenarios in that part of the country today, which have resulted into kidnapping, banditry, rape, protests, and all sorts, are echoes of an impending civil war, if not nipped in the bud. The poems of a selected Niger Delta poets: Ebi Yeibo, Hope Eghagha, Ekanpou Enewaridideke and others who write between the year 2000 and the present are used to justify the above. The paper argues that reference to the war and its antecedents is still part of the thematic directions of Nigerian, albeit Niger Delta poetry in the twenty first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case of a non-fatal crocodile attack on a human was reported on the banks of the Segovia River on the Honduras and Nicaragua border. The 12-year-old girl survived the attack, only with damage to the tibia of her right leg, where she lost part of the muscle tissue due to the bite. It was after the attack that the American crocodile was shot and killed by local people. In this paper, we discuss the possible causes of crocodile attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crocodilians (alligators, crocodiles, and gharials) are the closet living relatives to birds and, as such, represent a key clade to understand the evolution of the avian brain. However, many aspects of crocodilian neurobiology remain unknown. In this paper, we address an important knowledge gap as there are no published studies of cerebellar connections in any crocodilian species. We used injections of retrograde tracers into the cerebellum of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) to describe for the first time the origin of climbing and mossy fiber inputs. We found that inputs to the cerebellum in the American alligator are similar to those of other nonavian reptiles and birds. Retrograde labeled cells were found in the spinal cord, inferior olive, reticular formation, vestibular and cerebellar nuclei, as well as in nucleus ruber and surrounding tegmentum. Additionally, we found no retrogradely labeled cells in the anterior rhombencephalon which suggest that, like other nonavian reptiles, crocodilians may lack pontine nuclei. Similar to birds and other nonavian reptiles, we found inputs to the cerebellum from the pretectal nucleus lentiformis mesencephali. Additionally, we found retrogradely labeled neurons in two nuclei in the pretectum: the nucleus circularis and the interstitial nucleus of the posterior commissure. These pretectal projections have not been described in any other nonavian reptile to date, but they do resemble projections from the nucleus spiriformis medialis of birds. Our results show that many inputs to the cerebellum are highly conserved among sauropsids and that extensive pretectal inputs to the cerebellum are not exclusive to the avian brain. Finally, we suggest that the pontine nuclei of birds are an evolutionary novelty that may have evolved after the last common ancestor between birds and crocodilians, and may represent an intriguing case of convergent evolution with mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report monitoring of a resident population of Mugger Crocodile Crocodylus palustris (Lesson, 1831) along a stretch of 3.5 km of the river Savitri on the outskirts of Mahad town of Raigad District in Maharashtra, on monthly basis from 2014 to 2021. This river is increasingly becoming a sink of anthropogenic wastes emerging from adjacent settlements impacting its habitat value, and puts the reptile side by side with humans and human-wastes that could be a cause of rising incidents of crocodile mortality in the recent times here, as also reported from elsewhere. Savitri River has been a fishing ground for local indigenous communities, who also use the river bank for washing clothes and utensils, and for swimming. Such proximity between people and crocodiles creates a potential for negative interaction. This long term study monitored the Mugger population trends for the last eight years at four transect stretches along the river. Counts are suggestive of a healthy viable population of Mugger in this river currently, but a future conflict situation cannot be ruled out. Being generalist feeders, Muggers can sustain themselves on fish, and scavenge on dumped carrion and other anthropogenic organic wastes. With the exception of a few sporadic incidents of aggression by the Muggers at this location, no human casualties have been reported thus far, however, this does not rule out fatal reciprocal interactions in future and hence a few practical mitigation measures have been suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early life environments shape phenotypic development in important ways that can lead to long‐lasting effects on phenotype and fitness. In reptiles, one aspect of the early environment that impacts development is temperature (termed 'thermal developmental plasticity'). Indeed, the thermal environment during incubation is known to influence morphological, physiological, and behavioral traits, some of which have important consequences for many ecological and evolutionary processes. Despite this, few studies have attempted to synthesize and collate data from this expansive and important body of research. Here, we systematically review research into thermal developmental plasticity across reptiles, structured around the key papers and findings that have shaped the field over the past 50 years. From these papers, we introduce a large database (the 'Reptile Development Database') consisting of 9,773 trait means across 300 studies examining thermal developmental plasticity. This dataset encompasses data on a range of phenotypes, including morphological, physiological, behavioral, and performance traits along with growth rate, incubation duration, sex ratio, and survival (e.g., hatching success) across all major reptile clades. Finally, from our literature synthesis and data exploration, we identify key research themes associated with thermal developmental plasticity, important gaps in empirical research, and demonstrate how future progress can be made through targeted empirical, meta‐analytic, and comparative work. The thermal environment shapes early reptile development in a range of important ways. Here, we systematically review the literature on thermal developmental plasticity in reptiles, providing suggestions for how future progress can be made through targeted empirical, meta‐analytic, and comparative work.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletons serve as didactic equipment in educational institutions and as exhibits in museums. Modern skeleton preparation is a protracted, tedious and meticulous process involving several steps out of which maceration reckons exalted time. Several maceration methods, e.g., burial maceration, cold water maceration, hot water maceration, insect maceration, chemical maceration, and enzymatic maceration are available with virtues and vices with each of the methods. At present, veterinary educational institutions do not undertake skeleton preparation due to procedural complexities. We have made a novice attempt to articulate the skeleton of two pigeons (Avian species), one squirrel and one spotted deer (Mammalian species), and one crocodile (Reptile species) by empirical method without compromising the quality of skeleton involving seven steps, viz., De-fleshing and Evisceration of carcass, Burial of carcass, Collection of bones, Cleaning of bones, Drying of bones, Varnishing of bones, and Articulation of bones. The entire procedure took 18 days-2 hours (434 h) both in pigeon and squirrel, 5 months-6 days-6 hours (3750 h) in deer, and 10 months-11 days-12 hours-30 minutes (7476 h) in crocodile. The time frame was similar in respect of avian (pigeon) and small mammal (squirrel) species, while it was longer in deer (large mammal), and the longest in crocodile (reptile) indicating that it was influenced by mass of the animal rather than the species, and expressed a gradient behaviour. Maceration was the principal time-devouring component in skeleton preparation by empirical method. It devoured equal time out of the total time both in pigeon and in squirrel (360 h), and accounted for 83% of the total time. Maceration time was higher in deer (3600 h), and the highest in crocodile (7200 h), although the time fraction out of the total time was similar in both the species (96%). This paper deciphers a detail account of the protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: To explore unexplained crocodile lizard deaths, we analyzed fecal samples from crocodile lizards at the Daguishan and Luokeng nature reserves using high-throughput sequencing to investigate parasitic infections in this endangered species. The present study reported the occurrence of parasitic infection in wild and captive crocodile lizards, with a total parasitic infection rate of 33.33% (23/69). Different influencing factors (populations and regions) were analyzed, and significant differences were found. The results indicate that captive crocodile lizards were more susceptible to parasitic diseases than wild crocodile lizards. In addition, only Cryptosporidium infection varied by geographical location, with crocodile lizards from Daguishan showing higher susceptibility to Cryptosporidium infestation. From a disease prevention perspective, these findings have great significance for crocodile lizard conservation. The highly endangered crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus) continues to be impacted by disease, especially in captive breeding populations. In this paper, based on high-throughput sequencing, we investigated parasitic infections in captive and wild crocodile lizard populations in the Daguishan National Nature Reserve and Guangdong Luokeng Shinisaurus crocodilurus National Nature Reserve. The results show that the overall parasitic infection rate in crocodile lizards was 33.33% (23/69). Four parasite genera were detected, including Eimeria, Cryptosporidium, Nematopsis, and Acanthamoeba, with infection rates of 15.94% (11/69), 17.39% (12/69), 7.25% (5/69), and 4.35% (3/69), respectively. Significant differences in the infection rate were found between the different parasite species (χ2 = 8.54, p < 0.05, chi-squared test). The parasitic infection rates in the captive and wild populations were 39.29% (22/56) and 7.69% (1/13), respectively, which were significantly different (p < 0.05, Fisher's exact test). However, no significant differences in the infection rates of the four parasite genera were found between the captive and wild populations (p > 0.05, Fisher's exact test). The parasitic infection rates in Daguishan and Luokeng were 34.09% (15/44) and 32.00% (8/25), respectively, which were not significantly different (p > 0.05, Fisher's exact test). However, significant differences in terms of species were found in the two reserves (p < 0.01, Fisher's exact test). Only Cryptosporidium infection showed a significant difference between the two regions (p < 0.01, Fisher's exact test). Our results suggest that captive crocodile lizards are more susceptible to parasitic diseases than wild crocodile lizards and that Cryptosporidium infection varies by geographical region. This study provides basic information about the parasites of endangered crocodile lizards, as well as a reference for disease control and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The majority of antibiotics available in the market are produced by bacteria isolated from soil. However, the low-hanging fruit has been picked; hence, there is a need to mine bacteria from unusual sources. With this in mind, it is important to note that animals and pests, such as cockroaches, snake, crocodiles, water monitor lizards, etc., come across pathogenic bacteria regularly, yet flourish in contaminated environments. These species must have developed methods to defend themselves against pathogens. Besides the immunity they may confer, bacteria associated with animals/pests may offer a potential source of novel antibacterial agents. This paper discusses the current knowledge of bacteria isolated from land and marine animals with antibacterial properties and proposes untapped sources for the isolation of bacteria to mine potentially novel antibiotic molecules. The development of novel bioactive molecules is urgently needed, especially with increasing fatalities occurring due to infections by bacteria and escalating numbers of multiple-drug-resistant bacteria. Several lines of evidence show that the gut microbiome of cockroaches, snakes, crocodiles, water monitor lizards, and other species may possess molecules that are bioactive. As these animals are routinely exposed to a variety of microorganisms in their natural environments, it is likely that they have developed methods to counter these microbes, which may be a contributing factor in their persistence on the planet for millions of years. In addition to the immune system, the gut microbiota of a host may thwart colonization of the gastro-intestine by pathogenic and/or foreign microorganisms through two mechanisms: (i) production of molecules with antibacterial potential targeting foreign microorganisms, or (ii) production of molecules that trigger host immunity targeting foreign microorganisms that penetrate the host. Herein, we discuss and deliberate on the current literature examining antibacterial activities that stem from the gut bacteria of animals such as crocodiles, cockroaches, and water monitor lizards, amongst other interesting species, which likely encounter a plethora of microorganisms in their natural environments. The overall aim is to unveil a potential library of novel bioactive molecules for the benefit of human health and for utilization against infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A checklist of herpetofauna of Telangana, India including accepted English name, scientific name along with authority, Telugu and vernacular name, IUCN, Indian Wildlife Protection Act and CITES status, and endemicity is presented in this paper. The herpetofauna diversity of Telangana is represented by 98 species including 16 species of amphibians belonging to four families, one species of crocodile, six species of testudines, 35 species of saurians and 40 species of snakes. Three species-Hemidactylus flavicaudus, H. xericolus, and H. aemulus-are endemic to Telangana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In complex data with high dimensions, the dimension reduction methods are used to increase accuracy and speed in the classification algorithms. Feature clustering methods have had a good performance in the selection of important features of data due to using clustering methods. The process of selecting important features of data is a challenge in feature clustering methods which has led to the creation of different algorithms with different performances. The combination of the clustering methods and metaheuristic algorithms, especially the kind of population-based algorithms, have had good results in most cases. In this paper, a new feature clustering method is proposed which is used as a dimension reduction in the classification of brain tumors in 900 magnetic resonance images (MRI). The classification algorithm includes three main steps: in the first step, the Google-Net and ResNet-18 methods have been used for feature extraction of MRI images. Due to the creation of many features using the Google-Net and ResNet-18 methods, a new proposed feature clustering is introduced to reduce the feature dimensions in the second step. In designing the feature clustering algorithm, a new metaheuristic algorithm is introduced which is called the crocodiles hunting strategy optimization algorithm (CHS) that simulates crocodiles' behavior in hunting. Also, the feature clustering algorithm introduced the new chromosome encoding for feature clustering which is called feature clustering based on the crocodiles hunting strategy optimization algorithm (FC-CHS). Finally, in the third step, the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm is used for classification. According to the results of classification on the MRI images, the proposed algorithm has achieved high accuracy in Google-Net and ResNet features based on confusion matrices. For comparing the performance of the FC-CHS, this algorithm is compared with five well-known dimension reduction algorithms. Also, real data are used to further investigate the performance of the FC-CHS algorithm. The results show that the combination of the FC-CHS and SVM algorithms have been reached high accuracy in Iris, and Wine data, and in other real data, the proposed algorithm is outperformed compared to other dimension reduction methods in most cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By content analyzing two movies,Crocodile Dundee(1986) andAustralia(2008), this paper empirically examined some arguments found in the extant literature that are related to film-induced tourism.Crocodile Dundeeusually received the accolade of inducing tourism, whileAustraliawas copromoted by Tourism Australia to help revive the dwindling tourist arrivals. This paper does not suggest which movie induces more tourism to Australia. Rather, through comparison and identification of differences, it tries to explore the factors that might be associated with tourism-inducible film. After decomposing two films into individual temporal segments, 583 shots ofCrocodile Dundeeand 2,604 shots fromAustraliawere extracted and analyzed respectively. The findings indicate thatCrocodile Dundeehad relatively more landscape scenes and longer duration per shot by including less cuts (visual information) thanAustralia. Suggestions for future research in this area and marketing potential are also briefly examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil crocodylians from the early Miocene (Eggenburgian, MN3a) sites of Ahníkov (Most Basin, Czech Republic) are described in this paper. The new material presented here includes over 200 remains (bones, teeth and osteoderms), and therefore constitutes the largest crocodylian sample known from the fossil record of the Czech Republic. Assignment of the specimens to the fossil alligatoroid taxon Diplocynodon cf. ratelii Pomel, 1847 (family Diplocynodontidae) is justified by the presence of several cranial and postcranial features. In the Czech Republic, this species has been previously reported only from the Tušimice site (MN3, Most Basin, Ohře/Eger Graben). The majority of the material reported from Ahníkov is composed of disarticulated juvenile individuals. Both sites are most likely attributable to the specific environment of swampy areas, where crocodile hatchlings would hide from predators. The presence of the genus Diplocynodon supports the assumption of rather warm climatic conditions in Central Europe during the early to middle Miocene, as well as a swampy depositional environment previously inferred for Ahníkov. However, some squamate taxa suggest the existence of additional, surrounding palaeoenvironment characterised by a more open landscape with slightly drier conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accidental dispersal of Micronesian voyaging canoes is well known. While most of this occurred within the archipelagos, some was further afield. A twelfth century Japanese report narrates the arrival of a boat of castaways to the Izu Islands (off Tokyo). This paper examines this narrative against the background of other documented long distance dispersal from Micronesia, such as vagrant saltwater crocodiles and a canoe drifting from Lamotrek to Shanghai (China). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts a rememory of the personhood and politics of Malawi's foremost leader, nationalist and dictator, Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda, who ruled Malawi for three decades, from 1964 to 1994. The study is necessitated by the avalanche of critiques in Malawian literature which testify to the fact that for more than two decades after Banda's reign, Malawi and its politics continue to be haunted by the ghosts of the Banda dictatorship. The study adopts the postcolonial memory methodologies, alongside Toni Morrison's concept of re-memory, to palimpsestically retrieve the zeitgeist of the Banda days as detained in Mapanje's And Crocodiles are Hungry at Night. The analysis of the memoir reconstructs the various dimensions of dictatorial tendencies and traits that characterised Malawian politics and social life. These traits include arbitrary arrest and detention of perceived political enemies, the proscription of the press and creative outputs through the Censorship Board and extra-judicial killings. These recollections are meant to serve as a precautionary measure to preclude the gradual rise of neo-dictatorship in post-Banda Malawi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Filología Románica is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Estuarine crocodile, Crocodylus porosus is the most common crocodile found in Sarawak, Malaysia. Despite its importance in ecological services, socio-economy and cultural belief, crocodiles are still considered pests due to frequent human crocodile conflicts (HCC) resulting in either injuries or death. This study determined the density of crocodiles in three selected rivers within Samarahan River Basin (SRB) of Sarawak, using a standard night spotting technique over a three-year period (2019-2021). The average density of crocodiles in SRB is showing an increasing trend, although there is active removal of the animals from the rivers either by commercial hunting or by relocation of certain individuals as immediate response to HCC. This paper also describes conservation initiatives carried out in SRB aiming to use crocodile as a resource in bioeconomy, which supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apex predators play critical ecological roles, making their conservation a high priority. In tropical Australia, some populations of freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus johnstoni) have plummeted by greater than 70% due to lethal ingestion of toxic invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina). Laboratory-based research has identified conditioned taste aversion (CTA) as a way to discourage consumption of toads. To translate those ideas into landscape-scale management, we deployed 2395 baits (toad carcasses with toxin removed and containing a nausea-inducing chemical) across four gorge systems in north-western Australia and monitored bait uptake with remote cameras. Crocodile abundance was quantified with surveys. Free-ranging crocodiles rapidly learned to avoid toad baits but continued to consume control (chicken) baits. Toad invasion at our sites was followed by high rates of crocodile mortality (especially for small individuals) at a control site but not at nearby treatment sites. In areas with high connectivity to other waterbodies, repeated baiting over successive years had continuing positive impacts on crocodile survival. In summary, we succeeded in buffering the often-catastrophic impact of invasive cane toads on apex predators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mangrove forest in Palawan has the most extensive distribution in the Philippines. The fisher community's perception of the mangrove forest as a known habitat for saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) and its fishery benefits in Bugsuk Island were gathered using a participatory systems mental modeling framework for the coastal social-ecological system. From the causal loop diagram, six reinforcing and one balancing feedback loop were derived. The respondents observed a positive growth in the interaction between mangroves and crocodiles in Bugsuk Island, with both populations expanding and providing support to fishery resources. Bugsuk Island represents a unique diversity with great potential for resource conservation and economic benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I take up the call to expand the boundaries of social and physical landscapes in order to recognise the creative agencies of human and non‐human actors. In doing so, I wish to draw attention to the ways in which relations between both individuals and collectives combine to shape multi‐dimensional sociality in particular places. The place in question is a crocodile farm in tropical Australia. It is a curious place in that it was fostered by modes of objectification which serve to commoditise and conserve crocodiles at a species level with little attention to individuality. However, the particularity of crocodiles at the farming level compels their human handlers to make concessions to their demands. Crocodiles, by their refusals, attachments and individualities, elicit attention to their needs, which translates into practices and structures that are often at odds with profitability. In this way it is as much social processes as it is practicalities of producing skins which affect the farmed landscape and the beings it produces, creating a nexus of multispecies place‐making where individuals matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a new interpretation of Bruno Schulz's short story Ulica Krokodyli (The Street of Crocodiles), most often understood as showing the transformation which Drohobych underwent at the beginning of the 20th century. As based on the Drohobych press issued before the World War I and on historical papers, an attempt was made to reconstruct a possible context of Street of Crocodiles, i.e. plans of Drohobych rebuilding, especially the city's electrification and building a streetcar line. The story's careful reading allows to set an ontologically ambiguous character of many objects which do not have the status of real buildings but seem to be a part of a paper model. The observations lead to concluding that Schulz presents a projected unfulfilled future of Drohobych modernity after which only a model remained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a narrative, the objective of which is to open a conversation about some aspects of how doctoral degrees are examined. The focus here is on a viva voce which was conducted for a mature candidate who had been registered for his doctorate for some 10 years and who came close to failing this examination. The narrative presented is a description of a viva voce examination which was conducted by the rule book and resulted in what is described here as an outcome which the degree candidate and his supervisors regarded as unfortunate. There was no misconduct on the part of anyone but some mistakes were made by the degree candidate during the examination in that the candidate did not answer well the questions put to him and the examiners did not attempt to correct him or assist him with his nervousness, which was quite apparent. As a result, the candidate's examination performance was regarded by all to be poor. The problem which caused this unfortunate event, it is argued, lay in the lack of concentration on the part of the degree candidate and the absence of what John Maynard Keynes once referred to as the goodwill of the examiners, which was in short supply (Checkland, 1981). This narrative and the accompanying reflections reveal how delicate the viva voce process actually is and why in its current form it may need a thorough review. The paper concludes with the suggestion that the viva voce needs reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, we provide a comprehensive revision of the large-sized neosuchians Kansajsuchus and ' Turanosuchus ' from the Late Cretaceous of Central Asia. Kansajsuchus extensus from the Kansai locality of the Yalovach Formation, Tadzhikistan, is confirmed as a valid taxon. Previously hypothesized goniopholidid affinities of Kansajsuchus are not supported. Our phylogenetic analyses found this taxon as a derived member of the family-level taxon Paralligatoridae. With a dorsal cranial length of 70–80 cm and a total body length reaching 5–7 m, Kansajsuchus extensus is among the largest known paralligatorids and derived neosuchians in general. The large-sized neosuchian from the Shakh Shakh locality of the Bostobe Formation, Kazakhstan, previously identified as Kansajsuchus spp. ' Turanosuchus aralensis ', or Neosuchia indet. with allegedly goniopholidid affinities, is a paralligatorid closely related to K. extensus. The taxonomic composition, internal relationships and geographical distribution of Paralligatoridae are reconsidered. Paralligatoridae is an endemic clade from the Cretaceous of Asia comprising four recognized genera (Paralligator, Shamosuchus, Rugosuchus and Kansajsuchus), which is characterized by the unique suite of osteodermal features (paravertebral osteoderms with high dorsal keels restricted to posterior margins, arranged in more than two rows and lacking anterolateral processes). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that compassion for wild animals and the humans living alongside them should be integral to wildlife conservation. Nowhere is this more apparent than in predator conservation, and case studies are used to explore the consequences of wild animal attacks for human victims. Some arguments for extending compassionate consideration to animals seen as individuals are considered, along with the challenges these pose for predator conservation. A way forward from this apparent impasse is suggested, drawing on the capacity approach to embrace human with animal actors. The paper concludes with implications for predator conservation and recommendations, including incident responses sensitive to the traumatic impacts of attacks, and more collaborative approaches to handling human-wildlife interactions taking account of the capacities of local humans and wildlife.

Flexible pressure sensors have drawn substantial community interest as a result of the advancement of contemporary technology. Inspired by the unique sensory organs of crocodiles, an ordered bionic dome-shaped fold structure array was prepared using a facile process in this paper, and electrical experiments confirmed the enhancement of the capabilities of piezoresistive flexible pressure sensors. The results revealed that this type of flexible pressure sensor presented a sensitivity of 8.87 kPa−1, could withstand a maximum pressure of 60 kPa, a minimum detection pressure of 10 Pa, a response time of 70 ms, and maintained stable performance under 5000 repeated presses. In addition, the flexible pressure sensors based on dome-shaped fold structure arrays have been successfully applied for human signal detection and plantar pressure monitoring system. The current research has significant implications for the manufacturing and practical applications of highly effective flexible pressure sensors. [Display omitted] • Inspired by crocodile skin , an ordered dome-shaped fold structure array was prepared for the flexible pressure sensors. • The sensor showed high sensitivity and a wide detection range with excellent electrical performance. • The sensors were applied to real-time monitoring of the distribution of plantar pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the author discusses various reports within the issue on topics including Australian archaeology, importance of environmental zones in formulating the Australian taphonomic faunal models, and the taphonomic role of the crocodile.

Reptiles are beautiful creatures of nature, which includes Crocodiles & Alligators, Turtles & tortoises, Lizards & Snakes. They have their own ecological significance and render their very valuable silent services to mankind in various ways. Reptiles are cold blooded animals and frequently come out for basking under sun and remain in open area. These are slow moving animals. During basking and while crossing the roads, these animals are killed by vehicular traffic on roads and lose their lives. This paper highlights the preliminary report of reptilian mortality due to vehicular traffic on roads, with special reference to Champhai-Zokhawthar road on Indo Myanmar border at Champhai district of Mizoram, North East India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crocodilians are apex predators and sympatric species are likely to have different ecologies or morphologies in order to minimise competition between species, i.e., niche partitioning. Here, we examined the ecological niche factors that may affect competition between juvenile Siamese crocodiles (Crocodylus siamensis) and Tomistoma (Tomistoma schlegelii) in Mesangat Lake - the only documented area where the two species co-exist. This location has also been subjected to recent disturbance from logging and oil palm development. We identified and compared preferred habitats and stomach contents of each species. Tomistoma schlegelii were found predominantly in flooded forests, while C. siamensis were mainly in open areas. However, overlap in prey choice between juvenile T. schlegelii and C. siamensis was significantly higher than expected by chance and invertebrates were the most frequent prey items in both species. High overlap in prey choice between the two species suggests that juvenile T. schlegelii and C. siamensis are generalist predators. Furthermore, the evidence of separation of habitat combined with overlap in prey choice indicates competition-driven niche partitioning between C. siamensis and T. schlegelii. This paper provides basis for co-ordinated conservation efforts for the two threatened species in this unique ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herpetology in India took off during the British colonial rule with the documentation of herpetofauna. Several studies have outlined the early history of Indian herpetology; however, few have traced the growth of this field since India's independence. We analyse trends in Indian herpetology focusing on taxa, subfields, and authorship over the last 70 years. Of the 1177 published articles we analysed, 64.9% studied reptiles, 26.5% studied amphibians and 8.6% were general herpetofaunal studies. Frogs, lizards, and snakes being the most diverse herpetofauna groups, each accounted for 20-21% of the published articles and significantly outnumber publications on caecilians (2.3%), salamanders (0.4%), chelonians (12.6%), and crocodiles (4.4%). We found a significantly greater number of publications on Diversity & Distribution (34.2%), Taxonomy & Systematics (21.6%) and Ecology (19.4%) compared to other subfields, and detected a decline in Development, Physiology & Cytology and Evolutionary biology studies over the last four decades (1980-2019). The gender ratio among co-authors was dominated by men with only 29.7% of publications containing women authors. The overall proportion of women authors has not changed significantly over decades, but our analyses detected a significant decrease in women first authors and the proportion of women authors when the corresponding authors were men. Women authors were substantially lower in the subfield of Taxonomy & Systematics, and women published significantly more on amphibians compared to reptiles. Overall, we highlight the growth of herpetology in India from two key viewpoints, scientific pursuits, and gender parity among herpetologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social interactions are inevitable in the lives of most animals, since most essential behaviours require interaction with conspecifics, such as mating and competing for resources. Non-avian reptiles are typically viewed as solitary animals that predominantly use their vision and olfaction to communicate with conspecifics. Nevertheless, in recent years, evidence is mounting that some reptiles can produce sounds and have the potential for acoustic communication. Reptiles that can produce sound have an additional communicative channel (in addition to visual/olfactory channels), which could suggest they have a higher communicative complexity, the evolution of which is assumed to be driven by the need of social interactions. Thus, acoustic reptiles may provide an opportunity to unveil the true social complexity of reptiles that are usually thought of as solitary. This review aims to reveal the hidden social interactions behind the use of sounds in non-avian reptiles. Our review suggests that the potential of vocal and acoustic communication and the complexity of social interactions may be underestimated in non-avian reptiles, and that acoustic reptiles may provide a great opportunity to uncover the coevolution between sociality and communication in non-avian reptiles. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: South Sudan's recent recovery from armed conflict presents an opportunity to address critical conservation issues affecting the country's biodiversity. The protection of the vast Sudd wetlands is vital for the conservation of many different species and habitats and to ensure the continuity and improvement of the lives of human communities living in it. Animal–human conflict, particularly from crocodiles, poses a significant threat to the adequate protection of the Sudd wetlands. Crocodile attacks have resulted in mortality rates ranging from 50% to 100%. To mitigate these conflicts, changing human behaviour through environmental education is key. This can also improve attitudes towards biodiversity conservation, aligning future development with conservation needs. We conducted interviews with fishers to understand resident people's perception of crocodiles. Crocodiles are seen as a threat because they restrict movement along water bodies, attack livestock and humans, and damage fishing equipment. Attitudes are complex, nuanced, and sometimes polarised within communities. They are feared and hated but also valued for their meat and skin. Some interviewees believe that consuming crocodile meat can improve longevity, sexual potency, and protect against witchcraft. While there is a consensus on the need to destroy crocodile breeding habitats, there is also support for establishing protected areas in the Sudd wetlands. Crocodile sanctuaries would help reduce illegal hunting and protect the species, especially with the growing human population and economic development after the civil war. The nuanced attitudes revealed in certain questions provide a valuable foundation for raising awareness and designing more targeted promotional campaigns. Conflicts between human populations and Nile crocodiles are widespread with crocodiles posing significant threats to fisherfolk and riverine communities across r-Saharan Africa. Hundreds of deadly attacks take place annually, and mortality rates may range from 50% to 100%. Attitudes and perceptions towards crocodiles were studied using structured questionnaires among fisherfolk along the River Nile and the Sudd wetlands in South Sudan. Local communities used crocodiles for their meat and skin/leather trades. The meat is regarded to enhance longevity, sexual potency, and protection against witchcraft. Crocodiles are perceived as a main threat to lives and livelihoods as they restrict people's freedom of movement along water bodies, attack livestock and humans, and devastate fishing equipment. To assess whether responses were influenced by the intensity of crocodile threats, published data on fatal crocodile attacks on humans and livestock were analysed using Generalised Linear Models (GLMs). This analysis indicated a direct link between the number of crocodile attacks and human attitudes. Crocodiles were generally feared and hated, and there was the agreement of the need to destroy breeding habitats. However, some attitudes were complex and nuanced as highlighted by the agreement of local communities on the need to destroy Nile Crocodile breeding habitats on the one hand and the need to establish crocodile sanctuaries as the the preferred strategy to mitigate risks and conflict on the other hand. There is a need for the creation of a crocodile sanctuary in the Sudd wetlands to minimise the risks of illegal hunting and to buffer the increasing pressure on crocodiles due to human population growth and economic upturn after the civil war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent discovery of Nile crocodile remains in the mortuary complexes of two high-ranking courtiers of Nebhepetra Mentuhotep II, located in the early Middle Kingdom necropolis in the valley of North Asasif, opened the way to an exploration of the role of reptile remains in funerary contexts. The skeletal remains, which were not mummified, consisted of fragments of the skull and mandible, loose teeth, and osteoderms. This paper explores the association that may have existed between the deceased and the crocodile god Sobek, whom the ancient Egyptians identified with pharaonic power, inundation and fertility. From the Middle Kingdom, Sobek, who was believed to have risen from the Primeval Waters, was merged with the sun-god Ra, and in the solar form of Sobek-Ra was made part of the eternal journey of the sun from the east to the west. This association was also reflected in the Spells of the Coffin Texts, in which the deceased became Sobek. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal dung has always been used as part of medicines; even if magic played an important role in ancient medicine, doctors of past centuries have considered for centuries dung as an effective drug. This paper discusses the use of excrements in ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Byzantine medicine, in particular crocodile dung. Crocodile were familiar animals for those who lived along the Nile, but with Ptolemaic era, also the Greeks (and then the Romans) became acquainted with this reptile, also cosmetically and from a medical point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Wildlife tourism is important for the conservation of protected areas, endangered species, and to empower local communities. Nevertheless, when guidelines and practices are not clear and correctly executed, tourism may have a negative impact. Methods: We carried out semi-open interviews (n = 34) and several workshops (n = 50) with locals and tour guides in the village of Punta Allen in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, Mexico. Data were organized in tables in Excel®, and statistical analysis was conducted with IBM® SPSS® Statistics software. A priori, exploratory data analysis was carried out to identify the general pattern of the data, and a priori data normality test (Shapiro-Wilks) and c2 test were carried out to find out if there were differences in the frequency of a response depending on socioeconomic variables. Results: Most respondents (69%) dedicated 2-10 min to crocodile observation, one quarter (25%) spent 11-20 min, and the remainder (6%) 21-30 min. The majority (97%) of respondents mentioned that when they see a crocodile, they approach at a 5-10 m distance and wait for the occupants of the boat to take pictures, and then leave; only one respondent (3%) said that they feed crocodiles to attract them to the boat. Most respondents (89%) said that crocodile observation does not need to be improved, and it is fine the way it is currently carried out; the remaining 11% said that it could be improved. Workshops were received positively and allowed us to share information on crocodile species, their conservation, and good tourism practices. Discussion: It is necessary to enlighten tourismservice providers about the biology and importance of crocodilian species, to promote conservation and provide services with an educational impact/focus for visitors to the reserve. There is a need to develop a communication program that provides accurate information for new service providers and renews and reinforces concepts for established providers. Additionally, we need to continuously monitor and evaluate wildlife observation activities to enhance current practices in our study area, and to determine if they are having a negative impact on crocodile behavior and biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife conflicts between people and large herbivores or mammalian carnivores are widely researched in Africa, but there is limited work on human-crocodile conflicts (HCC). In Uganda, conservation efforts have enabled the recovery of the Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) population, yet the expanding human population and activities increasingly overlap with crocodile habitats resulting in negative interactions. This study used a combination of literature review, surveys, and the Nominal Group Technique to investigate the factors underpinning HCC around Murchison Falls Conservation Area. Results indicate that 115 attacks on humans occurred during 2012–2017, 84.3% of these being fatal. Also, 93.1% of the attacks occurred as victims were either fishing or collecting water. Construction of crocodile exclusion enclosures and translocation of problem crocodiles to protected areas were the most preferred mitigation measure. To reduce the prevalence of human injuries and offset local hostility toward crocodiles, conservation actors need to actively engage the affected communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Siamese Crocodile Crocodylus siamensis is considered one of the most imperiled and poorly-studied crocodilians in the world. Translocations (reintroductions) - often in conjunction with head-starting of juveniles - are a critical component of efforts to restore viable wild populations of C. siamensis. We here report the first confirmed nesting by a known-age, head-started, and translocated female C. siamensis together with observations of nest attendance and nest-associated fauna based on camera trap imagery. Our observations occurred in the Greater Xe Champhone Wetland Complex (GXCWC) in Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR. GXCWC encompasses 45,000 ha of seasonally inundated natural and anthropogenic wetlands, agricultural ecosystems, scrubland, and forest. While collecting eggs for incubation in May 2022, we were able to identify a unique series of notched tail scutes on a female C. siamensis as she aggressively defended a nest. From these markings we determined the female was hatched on 11 August 2012 (age = 9.75 years) and released in March 2014, approximately 3.5 km from the nest site. A game camera placed at the nest on 11 May 2022 and recovered on 5 July 2022 (34 trap nights) recorded 1724 images. These images indicated the female remained in attendance at the nest throughout the monitoring period. Camera trap imagery captured eight nest repair events and two nest defense events; during the latter the female defended the nest from village dogs. Eleven species of nest-associated fauna were recorded by the game camera, including eight and three species of birds and mammals, respectively. Our observations are the first confirmed nesting by a head-started, translocated female C. siamensis indicating these are effective conservation strategies for restoring wild populations. We also unequivocally established that head-started female C. siamensis are capable of reproducing when nine-years-old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to explore how culturally and religiously significant animals could shape discourses in which they were deployed, taking the crocodile as its case study. Beginning with the textual and visual traditions linking the crocodile with Africa and the Middle East, I read sixteenth- and seventeenth-century travel narratives categorizing American reptiles as "crocodiles" rather than "alligators," as attempts to mitigate the disruptive strangeness of the Americas. The second section draws on Ann Blair's study of "Mosaic Philosophy" to examine scholarly debates over the taxonomic identity of the biblical Leviathan. I argue that the language and analytical tools of natural philosophy progressively permeated religious discourse. Finally, a survey of more than 25 extant examples of the premodern practice of displaying crocodiles in churches, as well as other crocodilian elements in Christian iconography, provides an explanation for the ubiquity of crocodiles in Wunderkammern, as natural philosophy appropriated ecclesial visual vocabularies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat destruction and degradation represent the most significant contemporary threats to populations of American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) and Morelet's crocodiles (Crocodylus moreletii) throughout their respective ranges. In addition to destroying nesting sites, escalating inter- and intra-specific competition, and increasing instances of human-crocodile conflict, it has been suggested that habitat decline may also be contributing to recent hybridization that could threaten each species' genetic integrity. In this paper, we use the Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize as a case study, synthesizing remote-sensing based quantification of historical land use / land cover (LULC) change in the study area with insights from literature to demonstrate the potential role of LULC change as a driver of crocodile hybridization in the area. Using visual interpretation and supervised classification of satellite imagery, we found that, between 1976 and 2017, built-up land, agriculture, and aqua-culture expanded dramatically in the study area at the expense of mangrove and littoral forests, evergreen broadleaf forests, and savanna. The widespread conversion of traditional crocodile habitat to anthropogenic land uses likely increased the concentration of suitable American and Morelet's crocodile habitat within a diminished sympatric zone, making Placencia's increasingly human-modified landscape more conducive to crocodile hybridization in 2017 than it was four decades prior. With similar landscape conversions taking place throughout the crocodiles' overlapping zones in North and Central America, hybridization may soon represent an increasingly substantial threat to both species' conservation statuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the first identification of an Asian spinosaurid theropod, Siamosaurus suteethorni from the Sao Khua Formation of Thailand, was published in 1986, what was in all likelihood a spinosaurid tooth was collected from the type section of the Sao Khua Formatio in the course of a stratigraphic survey of the Khorat Plateau (north-eastern Thailand) as early as 1962. The specimen, the present whereabouts of which are unknown, was described in 1963 as an ichthyosaur tooth, but apparently was the first dinosaur specimen to be reported from Thailand. On the basis of the description and figures, it is referred to the spinosaurid genus Siamosaurus. A purported plesiosaur tooth from the Phu Kradung Formation, described in the same paper, apparently belonged to a crocodile. The reasons for the initial misidentification of the spinosaurid tooth are reminiscent of those of other misinterpretations of similar teeth found in other parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In Mexico, there have been no documented outbreaks of west nile virus. Nonetheless, its presence has been detected in numerous reptiles, mammals, birds, and humans in 17 states (out of 32). • Different theories have been proposed in order to explain the absence of WN cases. However, in regions such as the U.S.-Mexico border, the hypotheses may not be sufficient to explain the absence of WNV outbreaks. • The entomological perspective may contribute to explaining the low number of WN cases and detecting risk areas. • A comprehensive entomo-virological surveillance program for WNV and mosquito ensemble community studies in urban and rural areas, specifically aedes and culex spp., may provide insight into the actual prevalence of the virus and risk in mexico. Since 2002, West Nile Virus (WNV) has been reported in 18 states in Mexico, either by PCR or serological testing. However, it is believed that the virus is present in more states. Only four states (out of 32) have reported confirmed human cases, and one state has serological evidence. In the country, WNV is present in mainly horses and birds, but its presence extends to crocodiles, felines, canines, swines, donkeys, caprines, antilopes, cattle, bats, and camelids. Positive mosquito species include Aedes and Culex spp. Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain the absence of WNV epidemics in Latin America. Since some regions of Mexico and the United States share ecological and climatic conditions, these hypotheses may not be sufficient to account for the absence of WNV outbreaks or epidemics. This paper discusses the proposed ideas and attempts to contextualize them for Mexico, particularly for the U.S.-Mexico border, where WNV infections have been reported in humans, horses, and mosquitoes. We propose that integration of urban ecology and entomology knowledge is needed to better understand the absence of WN cases in Mexico. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study assessed the ambient temperatures, and those selected, by captive adult Nile crocodiles on a commercial farm in South Africa. Non-invasive data capture techniques were developed to ensure the crocodiles natural behaviours were not disrupted or altered. Thermal and climate data, over summer and winter seasons, were collected from local weather stations, an on-site Internet of Things system, and a Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual drone. The method developed in this paper transformed relative thermal maps (produced by a DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual drone) into a predictive model in which temperatures were derived to within 2.6°C per pixel of a processed orthophoto. Crocodile thermal and behavioural data were extracted from the drone imagery and juxtaposed with climate and thermal data from the pen. The greatest number of crocodiles were counted during early morning winter flights and the lowest number during late afternoon summer flights. Material (concrete, water, nest, grass/sand) selection by crocodiles varied with season, time of day and daily climatic conditions. Crocodile back temperature (10.2–49.6°C, µ = 30.4°C) ranges fell within those of their positional/environmental (10.6–66.6°C, µ = 28.7°C) temperature range selections. Strong, positive, significant correlations were found between crocodile back temperatures and positional temperatures for both winter and summer seasons, highlighting ectothermy. Application of this methodology on a commercial crocodile farm facilitated the inspection of potential shortfalls of the pens design from a thermal perspective, as well as suggestions for improvements that would ameliorate crocodile thermal discomfort (relating to hyperthermia). • Hyperthermia concerns raised for commercially farmed Nile crocodiles. • Thermal drone mapping for crocodile temperature and thermal behaviour assessments. • Internet of things system of abiotic temperature and humidity loggers. • Current thermal experiences of farmed Nile crocodiles in South Africa. • Crocodile thermal and behavioural comfort and potential commercial pen design shortfalls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the study of 14 new sites with theropod footprints in Imilchil. The study focuses on ichnotaxonomic and extramorphological characteristics of the footprints, the analysis of their trackways, and the correlation with the descriptions of published tridactil footprints. The objective has been to provide a comparative view of theropod ichnites with the relationship between the substrate and the footprint (in the interval between its formation and its current state) and the ichnotaxonomic data. The distribution of footprints in true or real footprints (including stamps and deformed footprints), undertracks, subtracks, and eroded footprints is introduced, and the variation in their morphological characters due to preservation processes is analyzed. An exposition of the analysis of the measurements of footprints and trackways has also been made, comparing them with data obtained in two other large sites studied and known by the team (La Rioja and Iouaridène). The numerical data confirm the generality of some of the previous and little-known observations of the repetition of distributions related to the metric of dinosaur footprints and trackways. • 346 new tridactyl footprints from 14 sites of Imilchil macrosite are analyzed. The data refer to 138 biped dinosaurs • The footprints are digitigrade, tridactyl, mesaxonic, with separated and acuminate ending digits, and are assigned to theropod "like" footprints. • At Imilchil we have published sites with sauropod footprints and/or crocodile ichnites (tail traces and footprints). • The influence of the state of conservation of footprints and the relative value of metric and morphological data in the ichnotaxonomic determination of dinosaur footprints is applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]