Dear readers, Acta Herpetologicais pleased to announce the opening of anew Special Issuededicated toDatapapers—short descriptive articles focusing on original herpetological datasets.
Datapapers are designed todocument datarelated to amphibian and reptile species and may include information on:
Geographic distribution
Morphological traits
Ecological parameters
Behavioral aspects and other relevant research areas.
The submission window will be open fromMay 10th to December 31st, 2025. Authors interested in submitting their work are required to format their manuscripts in accordance with the general guidelines available on the journal’s website (available HERE)as well as the specific instructions for datapapers(available HERE).
At the end of March 2025, a winter monitoring campaign focused on collecting data on amphibians was carried out in key sites of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Tuscany as part of ongoing research and monitoring projects. The fieldwork involved the collection of biological and biometric samples, such as stomach contents and biometric parameters, from multiple species of anurans and urodeles, with the aim of implementing studies on population genetics, health status, and trophic ecology.
Particularly relevant was the opportunity to collect data on Proteus anguinus, the only European cave-adapted amphibian species and a strict troglobiont endemic to the Dinaric Karst. This species, listed among the most strictly protected under both national and international legislation, is notoriously difficult to study due to its subterranean habitat and conservation sensitivity.
During the field activities, researchers successfully performed — for the first time on P. anguinus — the non-invasive stomach flushing technique. This method allows the collection of information on the latest foraging activities of species, enabling dietary analysis without causing harm to the animal.
This winter monitoring campaign also included the collection of data on surface-dwelling amphibians, which contributed to existing datasets from several projects and long-term monitoring programs aimed at assessing population status, genetic variability, and the study of the trophic niche of this species.
Can we agree with the Criterion E used to classify extinction risk by IUCN? Read here the opinion of some Italian herpetologists.
Title: Uncertain future and uncertain projections: assessing extinction risks in European salamanders from projected chytrid fungus invasion using IUCN Criterion E
Farda B., Coppari L., Lunghi E., Pellegrini M. (2024). Development of a sampling and preservation protocol for cutaneous bacterial communities of Speleomantes
This data paper collects information on multiple surface and subterranean populations of Speleomantes obtained throughout a four-year monitoring period. The high-quality pictures are supplied with additional information on individuals such as weight, presence of malformations and parasite load.
Title: Four years monitoring of the endangered European plethodontid salamanders
In this article we further studied the trophic niche of two sympatric salamanders: the Fire salamander Salamandra salamandra and the Italian cave salamander Speleomantes italicus. We here collected data on the autumnal diet and, besides comparing that of the two species, for each species we also evaluated seasonal divergences.
Title: Variability of Seasonal Trophic Niche in Two Sympatric Salamanders: Italian Cave Salamanders and Fire Salamanders
Authors: Fabio Cianferoni, Milos Di Gregorio, Claudia Corti, Enrico Lunghi
In this article we assessed the consistency of individual diet specialization of three populations of Speleomantes ambrosii throughout a period of three years. We found evidence of significant variation of the proportion of specialized individuals between different seasons, and between different years when considering the same season.
Title: Yearly variation in individual diet specialization: Evidence from cave salamanders
Authors: Enrico Lunghi, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Raoul Manenti, Giorgio Mancinelli
We enjoyed the field activity in Sardegna searching for epigean populations of Speleomantes! We spent 10 days collecting data on multiple populations of four specie: S. genei, S. sarrabusensis, S. imperialis and S. flavus. These activities integrated the great monitoring program lead by our friend Dr. Cogoni.
