Translocation of ‗nuisance' snakes is frequently employed on a large scale in densely populated areas in order to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. However, the methods used are often applied haphazardly and are rarely evaluated, especially in tropical Asia. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of long-distance translocation on the white-lipped pit viper (Trimeresurus albolabris) in South China, where they are routinely removed from urban areas or homes and translocated into national parks. Using radio telemetry, we compared the ecology and biology of ‗resident' and ‗translocated' snakes to determine if long-distance translocation (>3 km) is a viable conservation option. Translocation extended the period over which predation occurred and significantly decreased survival. Translocated snakes made unidirectional movements away from points of release, yet these movements were not oriented towards points of origin and there was no evidence for homing behavior. Translocation significantly increased frequency of movements and distances moved by female snakes, but no such differences were observed for male snakes. In contrast with resident snakes, translocated snakes did not show synchrony in the onset of brumation, and translocation appeared to negatively affect reproduction in both males and females. Our results suggest that long-distance translocation is not the best management approach to handle nuisance individuals of this species. Findings of this study can be used to prescribe improvements for current strategies to deal with nuisance snakes in Hong Kong and in the region.

Conservation translocation using captive‐bred individuals has become increasingly important for species restoration. Despite advancements in technologies for captive‐breeding, such as gamete cryopreservation, it remains largely unknown if these artificially‐produced offspring can be used to establish a viable wild population. Using an amphibian species with a stable conservation status (Anaxyrus fowleri), we measured the post‐release growth and survivorship of offspring produced from frozen/thawed sperm and projected fecundity and population differences. Cryo‐derived tadpoles and post‐metamorphic toadlets were smaller than their natural counterparts. Model projections show that early‐life differences in growth can scale up to substantial differences in final life fecundity and population trends. Our findings call for greater attention towards the differences between captive‐bred and cryo‐derived individuals compared to their natural counterparts, and the need for more investment into developing cryopreservation technologies that are viable at the population level for conservation translocation.

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Environmentally cued hatching has been well‐documented in amphibians in response to a wide range of abiotic and biotic factors. The hatching of terrestrial amphibian eggs in response to flooding may be basal within the group, but amphibian lineages in tropical Asia and sub‐Saharan Africa have not received as much attention as their Neotropical counterparts. We investigated submergence‐induced hatching in Feihyla hansenae, a Rhacophorid tree frog with terrestrial eggs. We quantified natural rates of clutch submergence at our study site in Thailand. Using submergence experiments, we found that embryos are capable of hatching early to escape flooding, and that failure to hatch results in mortality. Among the embryos that were able to hatch early, only the earliest, youngest hatchlings experienced a trade‐off in body size that persisted for 6 days, while later, older hatchlings were not significantly smaller than spontaneous hatchlings under control conditions. By incorporating our natural and experimental data into Monte Carlo methods to simulate and compare survival probabilities with and without hatching plasticity, we found an overall 3.1% increase in submergence survival due to hatching plasticity. Our findings support the idea that flooding‐induced hatching is widespread across amphibians with terrestrial eggs and highlight the importance of researching understudied tropical regions. As climate change is projected to affect rainfall patterns, the ability of embryos to escape abiotic egg‐stage threats may be an indicator of species' ability to flexibly navigate a changing environment.

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