Reptile Conservation and Cultural Significance (lecture 5) Flashcards
Australia is a reptile paradise
- high endemism
- high species diversity
driver of diversity
substantial changes in the globe
-animals have to deal with it or become extinct
endemism
- number of species unique to a specific area
- does not tell you the rate of diversity (number of species in a particular area)
- bigger land mass has high endemism and high diversity
speciation
- a method of how species evolved
allopatric
- most common
- population divided by a physical isolation
- changes natural selection
- large genetic changes
- reproductive isolation
- males and females do not have the same cues for mating and reproduction
- no more interbreeding
sympatric
- speciation by a mutation
- cause divergence in species
centers of diversity
- where on the landscape are there areas that lead to speciation
- often there is hot spots or cold spots
classes of factors
-areas with a strong level of extinction
-not all species can live everywhere
(broader tolerance more diversity)
(narrow tolerance less diversity)
-competition
-predation
-disturbance
(major ecological force
all of these happening at one dictates rate of speciation and what can persist at once
Kimberly
- mountains that seperate arid a
- generate endemic species
Wet tropics
- greater number of niches with great resources and loads of living
- nocturnal skinks (prickly skink) highly endemic to this area
- 23% of Australian reptile species
- highest concentration of endemic reptiles in the Wet Tropics of 18 species
- high diversity about 162 species of reptiles live in this region
- 24 of these species are found exclusively in the rainforest
suitability and habitat for species
- climate resilient area is the border range of Queensland and New South Whales
- good amount of rainfall
arid diversity
- highly diverse lizards in the desert
- dont go to Kimberley
- reptiles have different center
- 90 species
East coast more productive
-higher diversity
considerable areas
- reptiles particularly in the desert have high diversity
- center have different level of evolution that lead to different levels of diversity and endemism
under huge pressure due to climate
- selection process
- rate and frequency of heat
- reptiles exploited by humans
- no extinction since European colonization
- most endangered is the Western swamp tortoise which needs rainfall to start growth of egg
habitat alteration
- most major concern
- habitat loss due to suburbs and farming
- disturbance regimen has increase drastically
- takes 40 yrs. to rebuild after timber
- group of animals behave differently to disturbance
- species diversity usually go down but some do well
some glimmers of hope
- thought to be extinct pygmy blue-tongue found in the stomach of a snake at and clearing
- thought to be extinct as a result of pressure on these animals through trampling and CO2 gas from herding
possum
- state emblem of Australia
- live in dead trees called stags
- timbering reduce habitat resources
lizards response to logging and how to combat it
-don’t go extinct but feel the effects
- can use selective logging (20% of timber)
- take out mature trees that are likely to die
- forest coop-clear out a particular patch
- alll achieve balance of timber and maintaining animal habitat
cane toads
- used to control cane beetle on sugar cane
- move into western Australia
- big poisonous sacks
- 99% of reptiles harbor no resistance to the toxins
- very few competition among other toads
- all animals that eat toads will die off (freshwater crocodiles crash to about 50-60%%)
- animals that survive have difference of choice
- major conservation concern for reptiles
competition
- mammalian predators are warm blooded
- higher reproductive rate
- stealing food
- nutritional stress
- small reproduction
- smaller in size
- lag on population dynamics
conservation methods
- drop toxic feeding
- reduce competition risk of predators
reptiles as resources
- look beyond their looks into what they do
- cultural values
cultural values
- indigenous
- reptiles painted on walls
- value to community
- spiritually, food source
- oral tradition (rainbow serpent produce the nation)
- hunting
- big cornerstone to diet particularly for desert people
- fishing
- bush tucker
- sea tucker (sea turtles)
- telling stories
- food
- show level of skilling
- fitness benefit of having more children
