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Fieldwork conducted throughout Timor-Leste in September 2004 and July 2009 resulted in a collection or recording of 263 herpetological specimens (100 amphibians, 163 reptiles), comprising at least seven species of frogs and toads, 20 species of lizards, seven species of snakes, two species of turtles, and one species of crocodile. Among the amphibians, the most frequently encountered species were toads (Duttaphrynus melanostictus), rice paddy frogs (genus Fejervarya), and rhacophorid treefrogs (Polypedates cf. leucomystax). All three variants of rice paddy frogs encountered represent undescribed species similar to F. verruculosa from neighboring Wetar Island. Records of F. cancrivora and F. limnocharis for Timor Island are apparently errors based on misidentification. We obtained voucher specimens for a total of 147 lizards and voucher photographs only for four specimens of Varanus timorensis. Aside from geckos frequently associated with human habitations (e.g., Gehyra mutilata, Gekko gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus, H. platyurus), we discovered an as yet undescribed species of bent-toed gecko, genus Cyrtodactylus, in the Same valley. Our specimens of H. platyurus are the first record of this species from Timor-Leste. Commonly encountered skinks included four-fingered skinks (genus Carlia), wedge skinks (genus Sphenomorphus), and night skinks (genus Eremiascincus). Notable among the 15 snakes collected was the frequency of pitvipers (Cryptelytrops insularis), which amounted to over 25% of all snakes. Our specimen of the wolfsnake Lycodon subcinctus is the first record of this species for Timor-Leste. Based on these findings, it appears that the biodiversity of amphibians and reptiles in this remote corner of Wallacea is much greater than previously thought, particularly with respect to scincid lizards. The detail we provide in the species accounts is designed to allow the use of this report as a preliminary field guide to the amphibians and reptiles of Timor-Leste. However, survey work is ongoing.

Fejervarya limnocharis (Gravenhorst, 1829) Material examined. MNHN 2003.3404 (adult female; SVL 47.9 mm), Bayur, Province of Sumatera Barat, elev. 480��� 500 m. Taxonomic comments. The specimen is smaller than specimens from Medan (Sumatra) studied by Veit et al. (2001) but of the size of females from Java. The size of eye (131 ��� of SVL) and of inner metatarsal tubercle (58 ��� of SVL) keys it out to F. limnocharis. Distribution on Sumatra. The species is known from all over Sumatra. Biology. One of the most common frogs in the paddy fields close to the eastern shore of Lake Maninjau. Many specimens were observed active at day and by night both in August and November., Published as part of Teyni��, Alexandre, David, Patrick & Ohler, Annemarie, 2010, Note on a collection of Amphibians and Reptiles from Western Sumatra (Indonesia), with the description of a new species of the genus Bufo, pp. 1-43 in Zootaxa 2416 on page 9, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.194395

Butachlor is the most commonly used herbicide on paddy fields in Taiwan and throughout Southeast Asia. Since paddy fields provide habitat for pond breeding amphibians, we examined growth, development, time to metamorphosis, and survival of alpine cricket frog tadpoles (Fejervarya limnocharis) exposed to environmentally realistic concentrations of butachlor. We documented negative impacts of butachlor on survival, development, and time to metamorphosis, but not on tadpole growth. The 96 h LC(50) for tadpoles was 0.87 mg/l, much lower than the 4.8 mg/l recommended dosage for application to paddy fields. Even given the rapid breakdown of butachlor, tadpoles would be exposed to concentrations in excess of their 96 h LC(50) for an estimated 126 h. We also documented DNA damage (genotoxicity) in tadpoles exposed to butachlor at concentrations an order of magnitude less than the 4.8 mg/l recommended application rate. We did not find that butachlor depressed cholinesterase activity of tadpoles, unlike most organophosphorus insecticides. We conclude that butachlor is likely to have widespread negative impacts on amphibians occupying paddy fields with traditional herbicide application.

The effect of malathion [diethyl(dimethoxythiophosphorylthio)succinate] at sublethal concentration (0.006 ppm) on hematological parameters of the cricket frog (Fejervarya limnocharis) was studied for 24 hrs to 240 hrs of exposure and remarkable hematological alterations were observed. The study on hematological parameters revealed a highly significant decrease (P < 0.01) in the total erythrocytes count in malathion-exposed animals from 24 hours to 96 hrs of exposure as compared to control. Significant decreases (P < 0.01) of hemoglobin and packed cell volume were also observed from 48 hrs to 240 hrs. A significant increase (P < 0.01) in leucocytes count was noted throughout the exposure period. Elevated numbers of lymphocytes and eosinophils as found in the present study revealed lymphocytosis as well as eosinophilia, suggesting that this was a result of direct stimulation of the immunological defense due to the presence of a toxic substance or may be associated with tissue damage. The cytomorphological and cytopathological study of erythrocytes and leucocytes in malathion-exposed frogs at 0.006 ppm concentration revealed various cytotoxic effects at different exposure times. It was noted that the size and the shape of the erythrocytes were subjected to variation in different blood disorders.

To clarify the genetic divergence in the F. limnocharis complex from Thailand and neighboring countries and to elucidate the phylogenetic problems of this taxon, we analyzed partial sequences of the mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes and the nuclear CXCR4, NCX1, RAG-1, and tyrosinase genes. The F. limnocharis complex from Thailand had three distinct haplotypes for 12S and 16S rRNA genes. Nucleotide similarities and the phylogenetic relationships indicated that the haplotype 1 group corresponded to the real “F. limnocharis”, the haplotype 2 group was F. orissaensis or closely related to it, and the haplotype 3 group was possibly an undescribed species. Mitochondrial gene data also showed two major clades of the genus Fejervarya, the Southeastern and South Asian groups. Although F. orissaensis is so far known only from Orissa in India, the haplotype 2 group was observed in Thailand. This distribution pattern and the phylogeny suggested that the origin of F. orissaensis and the haplotype 2 group might lie in Southeast Asia. There was also evidence suggesting that the haplotype 3 group originated in the South Asian area and has spread to northern Thailand. The nuclear gene data did not support the monophyly of the haplotypes recognized by mitochondrial genes. This incongruence between the mitochondrial and nuclear data seems to be caused by ancestral polymorphic sites contained in nuclear genes. Although neither the mitochondrial nor the nuclear data clarified intergeneric relationships, the nuclear data rejected the monophyly of the genus Fejervarya.

The present study was conducted to elucidate the genetic divergence and the phylogenetic relationships in the F. limnocharis complex from Bangladesh and other Asian countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and Japan by allozyme analyses. We used a total of 95 frogs of the F. limnocharis complex from these countries and F. cancrivora from the Philippines as an outgroup. Based on body size, the F. limnocharis complex from Bangladesh was divided into three distinct groups: large, medium and small types. Allozyme analyses were carried out with 28 loci encoding 20 enzymes and two blood proteins by horizontal starch-gel electrophoresis. When Nei’s (1972) genetic distance was calculated, distinct divergence was found among the three types: mean genetic distance was 0.782 between the small and medium types, 1.458 between the large and medium types, and 1.520 between the large and small types. Phylogenetic trees based on genetic distance showed that all populations of Bangladesh small type strongly formed a cluster and were found to be most closely related to the Sri Lanka population; that all populations of Bangladesh large type formed a very strong cluster and were grouped with several populations from Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, and Taiwan; and that the medium type was segregated from all other groups. This may imply that each of the three types is a different species, and that the medium type is possibly an undescribed taxon.

The Indonesian archipelago is an ideal setting for the study of speciation and biogeography. This archipelago is divided into three island groups based on zoogeography: Sundaland, Wallaceaand the Australian region. In this paper we used frogs in genus Fejervarya (Bolkay) to study biogeography and examine patterns of gene flow across proposed zoogeographic boundaries. Severalmolecular studies on Fejervarya species from Indonesia have been carried out, but comparative studies among members of the genus Fejervarya have yet to be performed. In order to elucidate genetic divergence and geographic distribution of these frogs, we conducted a molecular analysis of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene using 179 frogs from five Fejervarya species. In total we collected from 32 localities in Sumatra, Kalimantan (Indonesian part of Borneo), Java, Bali, Sulawesi and Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. Molecular phylogenetic analysis recovered 35 haplotypes and showed that frogs in the genus Fejervarya were divided into two well-supported clades. The first group were of three species, F. limnocharis, F. iskandari and F. cf. verruculosa and the other group clade consisted of Fejervarya cancrivora and Fejervarya sp. (Sulawesi-type). The average sequence divergence among these four species ranged from 1.09 to 16.03% (mean = 11.29±2.83%). The present results clearly show that there are five Fejervarya species in the Indonesian archipelago. Fejervarya limnocharis and F. cancrivora are widely distributed and sympatric in Sumatra, Borneo and Java. Fejervarya iskandari is not endemic to Java and also occurs in the Lesser Sundas. Fejervarya cf. verruculosa and Fejervarya sp. (Sulawesi-type) are endemic to Lesser Sunda and Sulawesi Island, respectively. Key words: Fejervarya, genetic divergence, geographic distribution, 16S rRNA gene

The roles played by nonfatal secretions of adult anurans in the avoidance of predation remain unknown. The adult Wrinkled frog (Rana rugosa) has warty skin with the odorous mucus secretion that is not fatal to the snake Elaphe quadrivirgata. We fed R. rugosa or Fejervarya limnocharis, which resembles R. rugosa in appearance and has mucus secretion, to snakes and compared the snakes' responses to the frogs. Compared to F. limnocharis, R. rugosa was less frequently bitten or swallowed by snakes. The snakes that bit R. rugosa spat out the frogs and showed mouth opening (gaping) behavior, while the snakes that bit F. limnocharis did not show gaping behavior. We also compared the responses of the snakes to R. rugosa and F. limnocharis secretions. We coated palatable R. japonica with secretions from R. rugosa or F. limnocharis. The frogs coated by R. rugosa secretion were less frequently bitten or swallowed than those coated by F. limnocharis secretion. We concluded that compared to different frog species of similar sizes, the adult R. rugosa was less frequently preyed upon by, and that its skin secretion was effective in avoiding predation by snakes.