Ozobranchus jantseanus (Clitellata: Ozobranchidae) from Reeve's Turtle, Mauremys reevesii: New Annelid Fauna in Korea.

Turtle leeches have not been recorded in Korea, although they occur in geographically adjacent countries including China and Japan. This study describes a turtle leech, Ozobranchus jantseanus (Clitellata: Ozobranchidae), found from Reeve's turtle (Mauremys reevesii) in Korea. Of the 143 Reeve's turtles collected from the freshwater reservoir in Jinju City, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea, 95 unidentified leeches were found in 8 (5.6%) individuals. The leeches had 22 somites with 11 pairs of externally exposed branchiae, body-sized posterior suckers, and spines on the dorsal surface. We identified these leeches as Ozobranchus jantseanus Oka, 1912 (Clitellata: Ozobranchidae). This species of turtle leeches found in Korea may fill the gap in the biodiversity of East Asian annulus.

Correction to: Characterization of polymorphic loci for two cicada species: Cryptotympana atrata and Hyalessa fuscata (Hemiptera: Cicadidae).

Unfortunately the title of the original publication contains a typo. Instead of (Hemiptera: Cicadoidae) it should be (Hemiptera: Cicadidae).

Characterization of polymorphic loci for two cicada species: Cryptotympana atrata and Hyalessa fuscata (Hemiptera: Cicadoidae).

The cicada species Cryptotympana atrata and Hyalessa fuscata are abundant in metropolitan Seoul where their population densities are positively correlated with local urban heat island intensities. Here, we characterized two panels of polymorphic markers for both species. A set of 21 microsatellite markers previously developed for a Chinese population of C. atrata were tested for the Korean population. Fifteen of the tested loci were found to be polymorphic in the target population. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 12, with observed and expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.2 to 1 and 0.06667 to 0.92644, respectively. Four of the tested loci were moderately polymorphic, and the rest were highly polymorphic. For H. fuscata, a novel panel of microsatellite markers was generated using a next-generation sequencing technique and 18 polymorphic loci were identified in the target population. The number of alleles per locus was between 3 and 16, with observed and expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.02222 to 0.97778 and 0.16804 to 0.86181, respectively. Polymorphism level was low in one locus, moderate in five loci, and high in the remaining loci. The microsatellite markers described in this study will be useful for identifying genetic structure and genetic differentiation among populations of C. atrata and H. fuscata in metropolitan Seoul.

High mortality in Bufo gargarizans eggs associated with an undescribed Saprolegnia ferax strain in the Republic of Korea.

Pathogenic water molds have a significant impact on many species, especially amphibians. The genus Saprolegnia is a pathogenic oomycete restricted to aquatic and moist habitats, and its presence is strongly linked to the abundance of amphibians and fishes. We investigated the influence of Saprolegnia presence on egg mortality and egg occurrence under varying environmental conditions in the Asiatic toad Bufo gargarizans at 27 breeding sites in the Republic of Korea. We then assessed the impact of Saprolegnia on the presence of B. gargarizans at the 27 sites surveyed weekly during the B. gargarizans breeding season for 3 consecutive years. We used molecular tools to identify the water molds as belonging to an undescribed S. ferax strain. We demonstrated that the presence of S. ferax was positively associated with higher water conductivity and ponds. In addition, while S. ferax prevalence was associated with a reduction in B. gargarizans breeding activity and breeding success, we could not determine its impact on the subsequent breeding seasons. Our study highlights the potential negative effects of Saprolegnia on amphibian reproduction, although additional research is necessary to determine the relationship between Saprolegnia, its hosts and the impacts of habitat loss on amphibians.

Phylogeography reveals an ancient cryptic radiation in East-Asian tree frogs (Hyla japonica group) and complex relationships between continental and island lineages.

BACKGROUND: In contrast to the Western Palearctic and Nearctic biogeographic regions, the phylogeography of Eastern-Palearctic terrestrial vertebrates has received relatively little attention. In East Asia, tectonic events, along with Pleistocene climatic conditions, likely affected species distribution and diversity, especially through their impact on sea levels and the consequent opening and closing of land-bridges between Eurasia and the Japanese Archipelago. To better understand these effects, we sequenced mitochondrial and nuclear markers to determine phylogeographic patterns in East-Asian tree frogs, with a particular focus on the widespread H. japonica. RESULTS: We document several cryptic lineages within the currently recognized H. japonica populations, including two main clades of Late Miocene divergence (~5 Mya). One occurs on the northeastern Japanese Archipelago (Honshu and Hokkaido) and the Russian Far-East islands (Kunashir and Sakhalin), and the second one inhabits the remaining range, comprising southwestern Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Transiberian China, Russia and Mongolia. Each clade further features strong allopatric Plio-Pleistocene subdivisions (~2-3 Mya), especially among continental and southwestern Japanese tree frog populations. Combined with paleo-climate-based distribution models, the molecular data allowed the identification of Pleistocene glacial refugia and continental routes of postglacial recolonization. Phylogenetic reconstructions further supported genetic homogeneity between the Korean H. suweonensis and Chinese H. immaculata, suggesting the former to be a relic population of the latter that arose when the Yellow Sea formed, at the end of the last glaciation. CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of divergence and diversity were likely triggered by Miocene tectonic activities and Quaternary climatic fluctuations (including glaciations), causing the formation and disappearance of land-bridges between the Japanese islands and the continent. Overall, this resulted in a ring-like diversification of H. japonica around the Sea of Japan. Our findings urge for important taxonomic revisions in East-Asian tree frogs. First, they support the synonymy of H. suweonensis (Kuramoto, 1980) and H. immaculata (Boettger, 1888). Second, the nominal H. japonica (Günther, 1859) represents at least two species: an eastern (new taxon A) on the northern Japanese and Russian Far East islands, and a southwestern species (n. t. B) on southern Japanese islands and possibly also forming continental populations. Third, these continental tree frogs may also represent an additional entity, previously described as H. stepheni Boulenger, 1888 (senior synonym of H. ussuriensis Nikolskii, 1918). A complete revision of this group requires further taxonomic and nomenclatural analyses, especially since it remains unclear to which taxon the species-epitheton japonica corresponds to.

Sex-Chromosome Homomorphy in Palearctic Tree Frogs Results from Both Turnovers and X-Y Recombination.

Contrasting with birds and mammals, poikilothermic vertebrates often have homomorphic sex chromosomes, possibly resulting from high rates of sex-chromosome turnovers and/or occasional X-Y recombination. Strong support for the latter mechanism was provided by four species of European tree frogs, which inherited from a common ancestor (∼ 5 Ma) the same pair of homomorphic sex chromosomes (linkage group 1, LG1), harboring the candidate sex-determining gene Dmrt1. Here, we test sex linkage of LG1 across six additional species of the Eurasian Hyla radiation with divergence times ranging from 6 to 40 Ma. LG1 turns out to be sex linked in six of nine resolved cases. Mapping the patterns of sex linkage to the Hyla phylogeny reveals several transitions in sex-determination systems within the last 10 My, including one switch in heterogamety. Phylogenetic trees of DNA sequences along LG1 are consistent with occasional X-Y recombination in all species where LG1 is sex linked. These patterns argue against one of the main potential causes for turnovers, namely the accumulation of deleterious mutations on nonrecombining chromosomes. Sibship analyses show that LG1 recombination is strongly reduced in males from most species investigated, including some in which it is autosomal. Intrinsically low male recombination might facilitate the evolution of male heterogamety, and the presence of important genes from the sex-determination cascade might predispose LG1 to become a sex chromosome.

Predictive Modeling of Ungulate-Vehicle Collision in the Republic of Korea.

Animal-vehicle collisions (AVC) threaten animals as well as human life and property. AVC with ungulates, called ungulate-vehicle collision (UVC), often seriously endangers human safety because of the considerable body size of ungulates. In the Republic of Korea, three ungulate species, Capreolus pygargus, Hydropotes inermis, and Sus scrofa, account for a large proportion of AVC. This study aimed to understand the characteristics of UVC by examining various parameters related to habitat, traffic, and seasonality using MaxEnt. The results showed that the peak UVC seasons coincided with the most active seasonal behaviors of the studied ungulates. For the modeling results, in C. pygargus, habitat variables are most important for models across seasons, and UVC events are most likely to occur in high mountain chains. In H. inermis, habitat and traffic variables are most important for models across seasons. Although the important habitat for the models were different across seasons for S. scrofa, the maximum speed was consistently critical for models across all seasons. Factors critical to UVC in the Republic of Korea were different for the three ungulate species and across seasons, indicating that seasonal behavior should be considered along with landscape and traffic characteristics to mitigate UVC.

A time-calibrated mitogenomic phylogeny suggests that Korean Hyalessa fuscata is a bridge between Chinese and Japanese H.maculaticollis.

The cicada species, Hyalessa fuscata and H. maculaticollis(Hemiptera: Cicadidae), share numerous morphological characters, and their status as distinct species remains controversial. We reconstructed a phylogeny based on two new mitogenomes of H. fuscata from Korea and H. maculaticollis from Japan, in combination with GenBank sequences of H. maculaticollis from China and Japan, and other closely related cicada species. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference phylogenies showed that H. fuscata from Korea is more closely related to H. maculaticollis from China than either is to H. maculaticollis from Japan. The time-calibrated Bayesian evolutionary analysis by sampling trees (BEAST) phylogeny indicated that the mainland and insular forms diverged approximately 1.7-2.6 million years ago. This coincides with the formation of the East China Sea land bridge between East Asia and the Japanese archipelago, which would provide a dispersal corridor for Hyalessa from the mainland via the Korean peninsula southeastward to Japan. East Asian H. fuscata is a geographic variant that may be considered synonymous with H. maculaticollis.

Towards Ecological Management and Sustainable Urban Planning in Seoul, South Korea: Mapping Wild Pollinator Habitat Preferences and Corridors Using Citizen Science Data.

The preservation and restoration of habitats and ecological connectivity inside cities is crucial to ensure wildlife can find suitable areas to forage, rest and reproduce, as well as to disperse, thereby allowing metapopulation functioning. In this study, we used data collected by a citizen science program between 2016 and 2018 to determine which families of pollinators were the most frequently observed in Seoul and with which habitats pollinators had the highest affinities. Using species distribution modeling and landscape graph approaches, we located the main habitats and corridors to reinforce connectivity for six pollinator families. Finally, we identified habitats and corridors where conservation actions should be prioritized. In total, 178 species belonging to 128 genera and 60 families were observed. Hymenopterans were the most recorded, followed by dipterans and lepidopterans. The most suitable habitats for pollinators were constituted of public parks, university campuses, and Cultural Heritage sites. In a dense city like Seoul, most of the conservation corridors are located in built-up areas. Innovative urban planning and architecture are therefore required as well as the setting-up of ecological management practices to lead to a more sustainable urbanism for pollinators and wildlife in general.

Elevational Distribution of Amphibians: Resolving Distributions, Patterns, and Species Communities in the Republic of Korea.

Species biodiversity organises along elevational trends and is generally expected to decrease with increasing elevation. This pattern is regulated by numerous factors, although principally overridden by temperature in ectotherms such as amphibians. Here, we collated elevation data (n = 55,182) collected between 1909 and 2020. We then determined elevation distribution patterns and species communities for all amphibians in the Republic of Korea. Species were found to range from sea level up to 1,393 m a.s.l. The average elevational distribution was significantly different between species but also between anura and caudata. On average, anura were found at lower elevations with a peak in species richness and abundance matching with the lowlands. In opposition, the peak in species richness and abundance for caudata matched with low hilly landscapes. The altitudinal distributions of species were strongly skewed, with all 23 species found within the 0-199 m range, and steadily decreasing with only five species within the last elevational range (1,200-1,399 m). Finally, only a few species were found below 30 m, reflecting a likely risk of salinisation in this environment. Our results help understand the altitudinal distribution of amphibians in the Republic of Korea.

Latitude-Induced and Behaviorally Thermoregulated Variations in Upper Thermal Tolerance of Two Anuran Species.

Although thermal tolerance along geographical gradients gives an insight into species' response to climate change, current studies on thermal tolerance are strongly skewed towards global-scale patterns. As a result, intraspecific variations are often assumed to be constant, despite a lack of evidence. To understand population-specific responses to thermal stress, we investigated the presence of intraspecific variations in the critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of tadpoles in two anuran species, Rana uenoi and Bufo sachalinensis. The study was conducted across a five-degree latitudinal gradient in the Republic of Korea. We exposed the tadpoles to increasing temperatures and recorded the CTmax for 270 R. uenoi individuals from 11 sites, collected in rice paddies, and for 240 B. sachalinensis individuals from ten sites, collected in reservoirs. We also recorded the swimming performance and behavior of the tadpoles when placed in an experimental apparatus during CTmax measurements. We then used linear regressions to determine the relationship between abiotic factors and CTmax. In R. uenoi, we found a positive relationship between latitude and CTmax, but the tadpoles did not display specific thermoregulatory behaviors. In B. sachalinensis, none of the abiotic factors such as climate and geographic coordinates were related to CTmax, but we detected a tendency to swim close to the water surface when water temperature was increasing. For R. uenoi, we tentatively relate the CTmax variability across the latitudinal gradient to a physiological adaptive response associated with habitat characteristics that are assumed to be fluctuating, as the species inhabits small water bodies prone to drying out. In the case of B. sachalinensis, the behavior observed may be linked to oxygen depletion and thermoregulation, as it may buffer temperature changes in the absence of physiological adjustment. These findings suggest that intra-specific variations in CTmax are greater than generally accounted for, and thermal conditions of natural environments are important for understanding thermal tolerance in ectothermic species. Our results highlight that species' specific responses to climate warmings need to be studied to better protect species against climate change.

East palearctic treefrog past and present habitat suitability using ecological niche models.

Ecological niche modeling is a tool used to determine current potential species' distribution or habitat suitability models which can then be used to project suitable areas in time. Projections of suitability into past climates can identify locations of climate refugia, or areas with high climatic stability likely to contain the highest levels of genetic diversity and stable populations when climatic conditions are less suitable in other parts of the range. Modeling habitat suitability for closely related species in recent past can also reveal potential periods and regions of contact and possible admixture. In the east palearctic, there are five Dryophytes (Hylid treefrog) clades belonging to two groups: Dryophytes japonicus group: Clades A and B; and Dryophytes immaculatus group: Dryophytes immaculatus, Dryophytes flaviventris, and Dryophytes suweonensis. We used maximum entropy modeling to determine the suitable ranges of these five clades during the present and projected to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Last Interglacial (LIG) periods. We also calculated climatic stability for each clade to identify possible areas of climate refugia. Our models indicated suitable range expansion during the LGM for four clades with the exclusion of D. immaculatus. High climatic stability in our models corresponded to areas with the highest numbers of recorded occurrences in the present. The models produced here can additionally serve as baselines for models of suitability under climate change scenarios and indicate species ecological requirements.

Increasing salinity stress decreases the thermal tolerance of amphibian tadpoles in coastal areas of Taiwan.

Global warming is the main cause for the rise of both global temperatures and sea-level, both major variables threatening biodiversity. Rising temperatures threaten to breach the thermal limits of organisms while rising sea-level threatens the osmotic balance of coastal animals through habitat salinization. However, variations in thermal tolerance under different salinity stresses have not yet been thoroughly studied. In this study, we assessed the critical thermal maxima (CTmax) of amphibian tadpoles in different salinity conditions. We collected tadpoles of Duttaphrynus melanostictus, Fejervarya limnocharis and Microhyla fissipes from coastal areas and housed them in freshwater, low, and high salinity treatments for 7 days of acclimation. The CTmax, survival rate, and development rate of tadpoles in high salinity treatments were significantly lower than that of the two other treatments. Our results indicate that physiological performances and heat tolerances of tadpoles are negatively affected by salinization. Maximum entropy models showed that CTmax and sea-level rise are predicted to negatively affect the distribution of the three focal species. The present results suggest that global warming can lead to negative dual-impacts on coastal animals because of reduced thermal tolerances at elevated salinity. The impacts of global warming on anurans in coastal areas and other habitats impacted by salinization may be more severe than predicted and it is likely to cause similar dual-impacts on other ectotherms.

Impact of the Miocene orogenesis on Kaloula spp. radiation and implication of local refugia on genetic diversification.

The phylogeography of the Kaloula genus in East Asia is still poorly understood. One of the difficulties is the absence of fossils to corroborate molecular dating estimates. Here, we examined the mitochondrial structure of Kaloula spp. in East Asia and focused on the impact of glaciations on the northernmost species: Kaloula borealis. We determined the phylogenetic relationships, molecular dating, and genetic connectivity assessments within the genus from 1211 bp of concatenated mitochondrial 12S and 16S. The relaxed clock analyses reveal the emergence of Kaloula spp. common ancestor in East and Southeast Asia between the Eocene and Oligocene, c. 38.47 Ma (24.69-53.65). The genetic diversification of lineages then increased on the East Asian Mainland during the Lower Miocene, c. 20.10 (8.73-30.65), most likely originating from the vicariance and radiation triggered by the orogeny of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Later, the dispersal towards the North East Asian Mainland during the Upper Miocene drove the population diversification of K. borealis c. 9.01 Ma (3.66-15.29). Finally, the central mainland population became isolated following orogenesis events and diverged into K. rugifera during the Pliocene, c. 3.06 Ma (0.02-10.90). The combination of population genetic and barrier analyses revealed a significant genetic isolation between populations of Kaloula spp. matching with the massive Qinling-Daba Mountain chain located in south-central China. Finally, we highlight a young divergence within the Eastern Mainland population of K. borealis, possibly attributed to refugia in south eastern China from which populations later expanded.

From Gondwana to the Yellow Sea, evolutionary diversifications of true toads Bufo sp. in the Eastern Palearctic and a revisit of species boundaries for Asian lineages.

Taxa with vast distribution ranges often display unresolved phylogeographic structures and unclear taxonomic boundaries resulting in hidden diversity. This hypothesis-driven study reveals the evolutionary history of Bufonidae, covering the phylogeographic patterns found in Holarctic bufonids from the West Gondwana to the phylogenetic taxonomy of Asiatic true toads in the Eastern Palearctic. We used an integrative approach relying on fossilized birth-death calibrations, population dynamics, gene-flow, species distribution, and species delimitation modeling to resolve the biogeography of the clade and highlight cryptic lineages. We verified the near-simultaneous Miocene radiations within Western and Eastern Palearctic Bufo, c. 14.49-10.00 Mya, temporally matching with the maximum dust outflows in Central Asian deserts. Contrary to earlier studies, we demonstrated that the combined impacts of long dispersal and ice-age refugia equally contributed to the current genetic structure of Bufo in East Asia. Our findings reveal a climate-driven adaptation in septentrional Eastern Asian Bufo, explaining its range shifts toward northern latitudes. We resolve species boundaries within the Eastern Palearctic Bufo, and redefine the taxonomic and conservation units of the northeastern species: B. sachalinensis and its subspecies.

The east Asian Asiatic toad (also known by the latin name Bufo gargarizans) lives in a wide range of habitats across East Asia including forests, meadows and cultivated land. However, it remains unclear how these toads evolved and became so widespread ­ partly because it has proved difficult for researchers to clearly define the species and what distinguishes it from other closely-related species of toads (collectively known as Bufo toads). Othman et al. combined several bioinformatics techniques to study Asiatic toads and 38 other species of bufonid toads from across the globe. This approach found that Bufo toads first emerged in eastern Asia between 14 and 10 million years ago. This coincides with a point in time when large swathes of land in central Asia turned from adequate to sustain toad populations into desert, suggesting the change in climate prompted the toads to migrate eastwards from central Asia. The Bufo toads then divided into two groups of species: one in mainland East Asia and the other in Japan. Furthermore, the study revealed there is more genetic diversity ­ that is, more variety in the DNA of individuals ­ in Asiatic toads than previously thought. The findings also help to define several other species of Bufo toads more clearly and describe a new toad species restricted to the Korean Peninsula, northeastern China and the Russian Primorye region: the Sakhalin toad (Bufo sachalinensis). This work demonstrates that a large-scale study of many species across the globe can be used to understand how the species evolved and more clearly distinguish one species from another. The findings of Othman et al. will be of interest to both professional and citizen scientists interested in the natural history of Asia. Furthermore, as several species of Bufo toads are in decline in the wild, they provide evidence that may aid future efforts to conserve them.

De Novo Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Potential Thermal Adaptation Mechanisms in the Cicada Hyalessa fuscata.

In metropolitan Seoul, populations of the cicada Hyalessa fuscata in hotter urban heat islands ("high UHIs") exhibit higher thermal tolerance than those in cooler UHIs ("low UHIs"). We hypothesized that heat stress may activate the expression of genes that facilitate greater thermal tolerance in high-UHI cicadas than in those from cooler areas. Differences in the transcriptomes of adult female cicadas from high-UHI, low-UHI, and suburban areas were analyzed at the unheated level, after acute heat stress, and after heat torpor. No noticeable differences in unheated gene expression patterns were observed. After 10 min of acute heat stress, however, low-UHI and suburban cicadas expressed more heat shock protein genes than high-UHI counterparts. More specifically, remarkable changes in the gene expression of cicadas across areas were observed after heat torpor stimulus, as represented by a large number of up- and downregulated genes in the heat torpor groups compared with the 10 min acute heat stress and control groups. High-UHI cicadas expressed the most differentially expressed genes, followed by the low-UHI and suburban cicadas. There was a notable increase in the expression of heat shock, metabolism, and detoxification genes; meanwhile, immune-related, signal transduction, and protein turnover genes were downregulated in high-UHI cicadas versus the other cicada groups. These results suggested that under heat stress, cicadas inhabiting high-UHIs could rapidly express genes related to heat shock, energy metabolism, and detoxification to protect cells from stress-induced damage and to increase their thermal tolerance toward heat stress. The downregulation of apoptosis mechanisms in high-UHI cicadas suggested that there was less cellular damage, which likely contributed to their high tolerance of heat stress.

Snakebite envenomings in the Republic of Korea from the 1970s to the 2020s: A review.

Snakebite envenomings remain a neglected disease across the globe causing severe injuries and death. An understanding of regional snakebite patterns is a necessary prerequisite for public health programs aimed at reducing snakebite risks. However, such regional knowledge is poorly documented or lacking in many countries where the risk of snakebite envenomings receive little medical attention, and the Republic of Korea is one of these countries. Here, we reviewed the literature on snakebites published between 1970 and 2020 as well as public healthcare data recorded between 2010 and 2019 to determine the patterns of snakebite envenomings in the Republic of Korea. Our results, based on literature data, show Gangwon province as a hotspot of snakebite occurrences and identify middle-aged males living in rural areas as the demographic group at highest risk of venomous snakebites. We also highlight major limitations for further understanding snakebite patterns in the country, most notably the lack of proper species identification for snakes and conflicting patterns of envenomings revealed by different sources of data. Our study provides baseline information on venomous snakebites occurring in the Republic of Korea, thereby filling a gap in the knowledge of snakebite trends in the country.

Update on Distribution and Conservation Status of Amphibians in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Conclusions Based on Field Surveys, Environmental Modelling, Molecular Analyses and Call Properties.

Determining the range, status, ecology and behaviour of species from areas where surveys and samplings are uncommon or difficult to conduct is a challenge, such as in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPR Korea). Here, we used genetic samples, field surveys, call recordings, photographic identification and a literature review to estimate the presence, range and status of amphibians in the DPR Korea. From our combined results and based on the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, we were able to estimate the national threat levels for most species. Our results demonstrated the presence of 18 native species and the suspected presence of Karsenia koreana and two Onychodactylus species. We reported the first record for Rana uenoi in the vicinity of Pyongyang using molecular tools and similarly confirmed the presence of Dryophytes japonicus at the same location. Based on distribution and modelling, we can expect the contact zone between species within the Rana and Onychodactylus genera to be located along the Changbai Massif, a mountain range that marks a shift in ecoregions and acts as a barrier to dispersion. The species richness was higher in the lowlands and at lower latitudes, with such areas populated by up to 11 species, while more northern regions were characterised by species richness of about half of that value. The combination of ecological models and known threats resulted in the recommendation of ten species as threatened at the national level following the IUCN Red List categories and criteria. This high number of threatened species was anticipated based on the high threat level to amphibians in bordering nations and globally. While the ecology of species in the DPR Korea is still understudied, we argue that species relying on agricultural wetlands such as rice paddies are not under imminent threat due to the enduring presence of extensive agricultural landscapes with low rates of chemical use and mechanisation. The maintenance of such landscapes is a clear benefit to amphibian species, in contrast to more industrialised agricultural landscapes in neighbouring nations. In comparison, the status of species dependent on forested habitats is unclear and threat levels are likely to be higher because of deforestation, as in neighbouring nations.

Catalogue of herpetological specimens of the Ewha Womans University Natural History Museum (EWNHM), Republic of Korea.

The herpetology collection of the Ewha Womans University Natural History Museum (EWNHM) represents one of the oldest and largest institutional collections in the Republic of Korea. The specimens deposited in the EWNHM represent a major historical collection of the native herpetofauna, both in species diversity and time span. However, the full inventory of the herpetology collection has never been conducted and thus the collection has received little attention from researchers. Here, the first full account of the herpetology specimens held at the EWNHM is provided, with voucher information for all documented specimens to make the collection accessible for future studies.

Large-Scale Hybridisation as an Extinction Threat to the Suweon Treefrog (Hylidae: Dryophytes suweonensis).

Amphibians are in the midst of a sixth mass extinction, and human activities play a major role in pushing species towards extinction. Landscape anthropisation has impacts that indirectly threaten species, in addition to the obvious destruction of natural habitats. For instance, land modification may bring human-commensal species in contact with sister-clades from which they were previously isolated. The species in these new contact zones are then able to hybridise to the point of reaching lineage fusion, through which the gene pool of the two species merges and one of the parental lineages becomes extirpated. Here, we documented the patterns of hybridisation between the spatially restricted D. suweonensis and the widespread D. japonicus. On the basis of the analysis of Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I mitochondrial DNA sequences (404 individuals from 35 sites) and six polymorphic microsatellites (381 individuals from 34 sites), we revealed a generalised, bi-directional, and geographically widespread hybridisation between the two species. Evidence of fertile back-crosses is provided by relatively high numbers of individuals in cyto-nuclear disequilibrium, as well as the presence of hybrid individuals further south than the species distribution limit, determined on the basis of call properties. Hybridisation is an additional threat to the endangered D. suweonensis.