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From 2009 to 2012 thirteen wild-born pygmy slow lorises Nycticebus pygmaeus (in this paper referred to as pygmy lorises), confiscated from illegal trade, were radio-collared and released into secondary forest in South Vietnam. Pygmy lorises were monitored until death, recapture, or loss of collar; the longest monitoring period was 73 d. The mean (± SD) distances between consecutive sleeping sites were recorded for 324 consecutive days and averaged 122 ± 108.0 m. Mean distances between sleeping sites for males and females were similar at 110.7 ± 92.6 m for males and 128.8 ± 116.7 m for females, with the greatest distance covered by a female (793 m). Mean height of the sleeping sites was 8.54 ± 4.46 m (n = 60), in trees with a mean diameter at breast height of 75.2 ± 58.4 cm (n = 225). Mean height of the trees where lorises slept was 20.2 ± 9.0 m (n = 230). The pygmy lorises slept mostly in the > 8 m band, the area of highest tree connectivity. Of the pygmy lorises studied 38% (5/13) were found dead, 7% (1/13) were returned to captivity due to severe loss of condition and for 23% (3/13) the outcome is unknown due to early collar loss. Causes of death included hyperthermia and natural predation. The remaining 30% (4/13), 2 males and 2 females, were in good condition when last tracked before premature collar drop-off, up to 73 d after release. From this limited data set, a 'soft' release, wet season release and consideration of predator density at the release site are recommendations for increasing chances of survival.KEY WORDS: Pygmy loris · Rehabilitation · Radio-collared release · Vietnam Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher Contribution to the Theme Section 'Conservation and ecology of slow lorises'FREE REE ACCESS CCESS

Herein, we describe the new agamid species Acanthosaura phongdienensis sp. nov. from central Vietnam based on morphological and genetic data. Males of the new medium-sized species have a snout-vent length of up to 77.4 mm and females up to 64.7 mm. In both genders, the tail is longer than the snout-vent length. A spine occurs on each side of the neck, the rostral scute is entire, and the nuchal and dorsal crests are continuous. A postorbital spine is about half as long as the diameter of the eye-ball, and small lateral scales intermix with large, keeled scales whose tips point backwards and upwards. The new species differs genetically from the closely related species A. brachypoda, A. coronata, and A. lepidogaster by uncorrected p-distances of 13.6%, 21.7%, and 12.8%, respectively. This is the 13th species of Acanthosaura and the eighth species in the genus from Vietnam.

Morphological, acoustic and molecular analyses result in the description of Leptolalax rowleyae sp. nov., a new species of frog in the Megophryidae, belonging to the L. applebyi Rowley Cao species group from central Vietnam. It differs from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological attributes: (1) adult SVL 23.4-25.4 mm in males and 27-27.8 mm in females; (2) presence of distinct dark/brown dorsolateral markings, including black spots on flanks; (3) pinkish milk-white to light brown chest and belly with numerous white speckles; (4) tympanum distinct; (5) absence of webbing or lateral dermal fringes on fingers and toes; (6) pectoral glands comparatively small (3.3-4.7% of SVL); (7) ventrolateral glands indistinct; and (8) iris bicolored with copper tint in upper half fading to golden in lower third of iris. The male advertisement call of the new species consists of 4-6 notes, lacking a distinct introductory note, with an average dominant frequency of 3.2-3.5 kHz. The description of the tadpole constitutes the first description of larval morphology for a member of the L. appleybi species group. Genetically, an uncorrected sequence divergence of 7.4% for 16S rRNA separates the new species from its two closest relatives, L. ardens and L. melicus in the L. applebyi species group.

Kraits with black and white bands from Nui Chua National Park, central Vietnam are morphologically similar to the Burmese Krait, Bungarus magnimaculatus, however, analysis of molecular data finds them to be nested within the B. candidus complex.