Fire is a frequent feature of African grasslands because agriculture is often used as a management tool in conservation areas. Richness, diversity, and abundance of amphibians were compared in four areas of montane grassland subjected to different fire regimes in Nyika National Park (Malawi, southeastern Africa). The surveys were performed using drift fences and pitfall traps randomly set in four areas (12 sites) subjected to the following fire regimes: (A) no fire for at least 15 years; (B) no fire for at least 10 years; (C) no fire for at least 6 years; and (D) annually burned. We also measured the vegetation cover and vegetation height. We collected 370 amphibians from 17 species and six families during 50 days sampling period. The lowest value of abundance was found in areas C and D. The amphibian species Hyperolius marmoratus and H. nasutus were most abundant in the control area A. Arthroleptis xenodactyloides, Amietophrynus gutturalis and Am. maculatus were found in all areas. There was a strong correlation between vegetation height and species richness. Vegetation structure, which is affected by fire, appears to be a key factor impacting amphibian assemblages in montane grasslands.

Recent phylogenetic studies using mtDNA and allozymes have revealed the presence of large genetic differentiation within a Japanese clawed salamander, Onychodactylus japonicus, suggesting the presence of several cryptic taxa in this species. Based on morphological analyses, we describe one of them from the Tsukuba Mountains of Ibaraki Prefecture, in the Kanto district of eastern Honshu, as a new species, Onychodactylus tsukubaensis. It is a member of the japonicus species complex of Onychodactylus, and differs from the other species of the complex by a relatively short tail, wide head, and large number of vomerine teeth.

Rapid body color change of animals in response to environmental stimuli has at least three biological functions: predation avoidance, thermoregulation, and intraspecific communication. We tested the hypothesis that Phelsuma kochi, a Madagascan giant day gecko that normally has a bright green body color, darkens its color to maximize its level of background matching so as to evade predation. Because recent studies revealed that some lizard species are able to eavesdrop on avian alarm calls and respond with antipredator behavior, we conducted a playback experiment of avian alarm calls to examine whether P. kochi recognizes alarm calls and changes its body color in response to them. We played back alarm calls and songs of a syntopically occurring passerine bird, Terpsiphone mutata, and white noise to free-ranging geckos. The geckos changed their body color quicker and darker in response to alarm calls than songs, and they tended to keep their dark coloration for a longer duration after the playback of alarm calls than that of songs or white noise. This result suggests that P. kochi is able to eavesdrop on alarm calls of syntopic birds and respond by darkening its body color to reduce its conspicuousness to predators.

A new species of the salamandrid genus Tylototriton is described from Ha Giang and Cao Bang provinces, northern Vietnam, based on molecular and morphological data. The new species differs morphologically from all known congeners in the combination of blackish body coloration; medium-sized body; distinctly rough skin; tubercular vertebral ridge; knob-like rib nodules; large eye; and low, narrow tail. The distribution pattern of species of Tylototriton in Vietnam is briefly discussed.

I surveyed distribution and abundance of a recently established population of Hemidactylus frenatus on Amamioshima Island of the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. I also attempted to evaluate the risk of further range expansion of this species within the island. In the first record of H. frenatus from the island in 2000, its range was restricted to one building in the urban area of Naze. In my survey in 2012, however, the gecko was already widespread, being the most abundant gekkonid species in the area. Hemidactylus frenatus was also found in many sites of the island outside Naze, most of which were located in the eastern part of the island. Based on the species distribution model, this eastern biased range expansion seems to reflect the greater abundance of suitable habitats in the eastern part. Two of the three western sites of H. frenatus were isolated from its major, contiguous range in the central-eastern parts by areas with apparently unsuitable habitats and scattered favorable habitats occupied by other gekkonid species, suggesting that H. frenatus there had originated from individuals artificially transported within the island. The species distribution model also indicated the presence of suitable but unoccupied habitats in the southwestern part, predicting further range expansion of H. frenatus on Amamioshima in the future. My survey demonstrated the scarcity of geckos other than H. frenatus in the eastern part, probably as a result of the predominance of H. frenatus there. Based on my field observations, I also discuss the possible major carrier of H. frenatus on Amamioshima.

In Sarawak, Malaysia, the live-bearing scincid lizard, Eutropis multifasciata has a prolonged reproductive cycle in which males exhibited year round sperm production and females were reproductively active in all months examined except in September (n=1) and November (n=1). Mean litter size was 3.8±0.84 (1SD, range=3–5, n=5). There was no evidence to suggest females produced consecutive litters in the same year. Other skinks from Malaysia have also been shown to exhibit prolonged reproductive cycles.

Genetic diversity in the Japanese population of Zootoca vivipara was investigated using partial sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b (706 bp) gene for 24 individuals from three sites. The phylogenetic status of the Japanese population was also examined using data from the current and previous studies. Only one haplotype was recognized in the Japanese population, which was different by only one nucleotide from the Russian and Belarusian populations. Individuals from disparate regions (>7000 km apart) quite rarely share such closely related haplotypes. From the results of the current and previous studies, members of the continental population seem to have invaded Hokkaido via the land bridge during the latest Pleistocene glaciation.