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On oceanic islands, where carnivorous mammals are frequently absent, the niches of large predators are often filled by raptors and reptiles. Cuban Boas (Chilabothrus angulifer), along with Cuban Crocodiles (Crocodylus rhombifer) and large birds of prey, were the top predators in the Cenozoic terrestrial ecosystems of Cuba until the arrival of Homo sapiens in the region about 6,000 years ago. This ecological scenario of large boas in the genus Chilabothrus functioning as top predators in terrestrial ecosystems is repeated on each of the largest islands of the Greater Antilles. The evolution of very large size in the Cuban Boa is best explained as phyletic giantism (Cope’s Rule), although other paleo-ecological selective factors might have maintained or even accentuated the evolutionary trend toward large body size (insular giantism). However, this seems not to be the case for all species of Chilabothrus, since the evolution of a small body size is repeated in several lineages, a phenomenon that is best explained by autamorphic nanism (Island Rule). Unfortunately, the negative effects of humans on natural populations of the Cuban Boa apparently have induced a dramatic reduction in maximum body size even during the relatively short period since the first reliable measurements were recorded in the 19th century. Such a reduction in body size is consistent with that reported for other West Indian reptiles and is probably indicative of rapid evolution in response to a highly modified environment with new selective pressures.

Male–male competition may interfere with the ability of females to choose mates by interrupting courtship or by favoring highly aggressive males who may damage females during mating attempts. Alternatively, females may benefit by mating with dominant males, and female choice and male–male competition may therefore act in unison. The same traits, including aggressiveness, may indicate male quality to females and to rivals. We investigated sexual selection in the black morph of the endemic Cuban poeciliid fish, Girardinus metallicus, to ascertain the links between morphological and behavioral traits and success in intra‐ and intersexual selection. Males conspicuously exhibit their black ventral surface and gonopodium to females during courtship. Dichotomous choice tests revealed female association preferences for certain males, and those same males were more successful in monopolizing access to females when the fish were allowed to directly interact. Dominant males followed, courted, and copulated with females more than subordinate males within a pair, and it appears that females could either assess dominance based on cues we did not measure, or could influence subsequent mating success by their behavior during the dichotomous choice trials. There was an interaction between black status (i.e., whether the male in each pair had more or less ventral black coloration than the other male in that pair) and dominance, such that low‐black dominant males courted early and then shifted to following females, whereas high‐black dominant males courted far more later in the observation period. These results hint at the importance for sexual selection of the interplay between a static morphological trait (black coloration) and a dynamic behavioral trait (aggressiveness), but the functional significance of the courtship display remains a mystery.

Tropidophis feicki Schwartz, 1957 is restricted to densely forested limestone mesic areas in western Cuba (Schwartz & Henderson 1991; Henderson & Powell 2009). This species has been reported from about 20 localities distributed from near Guane, in Pinar del Río Province, to Ciénaga de Zapata, in Matanzas Province Rivalta et al., 2013; GBIF 2020; Fig. 1). On 30 June 2009 and on 22 December 2011 we found an adult male and an adult female Tropidophis feicki (ca. 400 mm SVL; Fig. 2), respectively, at the entrance of the “Cueva de la Virgen” hot cave (22.8201, -80.1384; 30 m a.s.l.; WGS 84; point 14 in Fig. 1). The cave is located within “Mogotes de Jumagua” Ecological Reserve, Sagua La Grande Municipality, Villa Clara Province. This locality represents the first record of this species for central Cuba, particularly for Villa Clara Province. This new record is about 123 km northeast (airline distance) of the nearest previous record at Playa Máquina, Ciénaga de Zapata, Matanzas Province (Rodríguez & Rivalta 2007).

Tropidophis maculatus (Bibron, 1840) is a mesophilic snake inhabiting forest patches and open secondary scrub savannas in western and central Cuba (Schwartz & Henderson 1991; Rodríguez et al. 2013). The only dietary records for this species are the lizards Anolis angusticeps and A. alutaceus, for individuals from Havana city (Collette 1961). Herein we provide new data on the diet of wild T. maculatus. On 17 April 2010, we found a juvenile female Tropidophis maculatus (140 mm SVL) at Soroa (22.7960, -83.0060; 200 m a.s.l.), Candelaria Municipality, Artemisa Province. We found the snake at 1317 hours under a rock with a big stomach bulge (Fig. 1). It later regurgitated a partially digested male Anolis homolechis that had been swallowed head first (ca. 40 mm SVL; Fig. 2). The predominant vegetation in the area is semi-deciduous forest.

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New localities and distribution models inform the conservation status of the endangered lizard Anolis guamuhaya (Squamata: Dactyloidae) from central Cuba. Anolis guamuhaya is known from seven localities restricted to the Guamuhaya Massif in central Cuba and is always associated with mountane ecosystems above 300 m a.s.l. Previous evaluations of the conservation status of the species based on the estimated number of mature individuals have categorized the anole as Endangered. Eight new records of A. guamuhaya are provided here. These double the number of known localities, and two represent the first records of the species in lowland areas, apart from the Guamuhaya Massif. The new records extend the elevational range of the species from 15 m to above 1000 m. We used ecological niche modeling based on all of the locality records, along with what we considered the most appropriate IUCN criteria according to the available information (Criterion B) to reevaluate the conservation status of the species. These new records of A. guamuhaya increase its area of occupancy up to a total of 60 km2 , and its extent of occurrence up to 648 km2 . Despite this increase in geographic range, the species meets the IUCN criteria in the category of Endangered. We used ecological niche modeling to predict possible trends for the species under differing scenarios of global climate change, all of which portend a drastic reduction in area climatically suitable for A. guamuhaya.

Sexual maturation in free-ranging Chilabothrus angulifer (Serpentes: Boidae). TheCuban Boa (C. angulifer) is the only boid snake in Cuba. It is the largest member of the history is poorly known, several studies describe aspects of its reproductive biology in in nature, and show that the Cuban Boa reaches adulthood at a much smaller size than previously reported for captive snakes. Based on the limited information on the growth rate of C. angulifer in nature, males must reach breeding size after 3 years and females after 5 years.Keywords: Cuba, Cuban Boa, endemic snake, minimum breeding size, reproductive ResumenMaduración sexual en Chilabothrus angulifer (Serpentes: Boidae) en la naturaleza. El majá de Santa María (C. angulifer especie icónica de la herpetofauna cubana. A pesar de que su historia natural se conoce muy poco, varios estudios describen aspectos de su biología reproductiva en cautiverio. Aquí documentamos las 164Phyllomedusa -15(2), December 2016 se ha reportado para especímenes de cautiverio. Basados en la escasa información sobre la tasa de crecimiento de C. angulifer Palabras Clave: Caribe Insular. ResumoMaturidade sexual de Chilabothrus angulifer (Serpentes: Boidae) em estado selvagem. A jiboiacubana, Chilabothrus angulifer, icônica da herpetofauna cubana. Apesar de sua história natural ser pouco-conhecida, diversos estudos descrevem aspectos de sua biologia reprodutiva em cativeiro. Documentamos aqui o tamanho e a serpente atinge a idade adulta com um tamanho muito menor do que previamente relatado para C. angulifer na natureza, os machos atingem o tamanho reprodutivo após 3 anos, e as fêmeas, após 5 anos. Palavras-chave:tamanho reprodutivo mínimo.