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Parthenogenetic species of Caucasian rock lizards of the genus Darevksia are important evidence for reticulate evolution and speciation by hybridization in vertebrates. Female‐only lineages formed through interspecific hybridization have been discovered in many groups. Nevertheless, critical mechanisms of oogenesis and specifics of meiosis that provide long‐term stability of parthenogenetic species are still unknown. Here we report cytogenetic characteristics of somatic karyotypes and meiotic prophase I nuclei in the diploid parthenogenetic species Darevskia unisexualis from the new population “Keti” in Armenia which contains an odd number of chromosomes 2n = 37, instead of the usual 2n = 38. We revealed 36 acrocentric chromosomes and a single metacentric autosomal chromosome, resulting from Robertsonian translocation. Comparative genomic hybridization revealed that chromosome fusion occurred between two chromosomes inherited from the maternal species, similar to another parthenogenetic species D. rostombekowi. To trace the chromosome behaviour in meiosis, we performed an immunocytochemical study of primary oocytes` spread nuclei and studied chromosome synapsis during meiotic prophase I in D. unisexualis based on analysis of synaptonemal complexes (SCs). We found meiotic SC‐trivalent composed of one metacentric and two acrocentric chromosomes. We confirmed that the SC was assembled between homeologous chromosomes inherited from two parental species. Immunostaining of the pachytene and diplotene nuclei revealed a mismatch repair protein MLH1 loaded to all autosomal SC bivalents. Possible mechanisms of meiotic recombination between homeologous chromosomes are discussed.

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The present study is the first review of the recent herpetofauna of the Greater Caucasian caves. Also, it is worth noting some phossylous material on amphibians and reptiles (mainly Pleistocene remains) from the caves in this area. The goal of the study is to fill knowledge gaps and to present long-term data on the cave herpetofauna of the Greater Caucasus. In 1992–2019, amphibians and reptiles were found in 61 Greater Caucasian caves located in an altitude range from 55 m a.s.l. to 1300 m a.s.l. in Russia, Abkhazia, and Georgia. A total of 272 specimens representing ten species have been found. The most frequently observed species were Rana macrocnemis (39.0% of all recorded specimens), Pelodytes caucasicus (17.3%), Bufo verrucosissimus (11.0%), Darevskia brauneri (8.8%), Hyla orientalis (8.1%). The total proportion of the remaining five species (Ommatotriton ophryticus, Hyla savignyi, Pelophylax ridibundus, Anguis colchica, and Darevskia derjugini) was 15.8%. As a rule, representatives of the herpetofauna in the Greater Caucasian caves are quite rare and only single or few individuals are usually found. Exceptions were Fyodorovskaya Cave (Black Sea Region near the city of Sochi), Akshasha Cave, Abshdza Cave and Marshania Verkhnyaya Cave (last three in Abkhazia) where 141 specimens of amphibians and reptiles were observed, i.e. more than half (51.8%) of the totally recorded specimens. They belong to eight species (80.0% of all species found). The caves of the Greater Caucasus foothills, where the vast majority of amphibians and reptiles were observed, are usually characterised by a rich faunal diversity of invertebrate animals – their potential food. Amphibians were recorded from both twilight and deep parts of the caves, whereas lizards were found mainly close to the entrances, where the light penetrates and a relatively high air temperature is observed in the warm period of the year. Probably, some of the Greater Caucasian amphibians and reptiles enter the caves purposefully for wintering, and/or for feeding. The other animals occur accidentally in the caves (especially on the bottom of vertical pits), becoming «prisoners of circumstances». Judging by the length of time spent in the caves and, as a consequence, the change in body pigmentation (lighting of the main colouration tone) and good external condition of many individuals, these amphibians can be considered subtroglophiles. Rana macrocnemis, capable of laying eggs in caves, shows a tendency for eutroglophily.

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A detailed description of cranial and postcranial osteology of Darevskia parvula and D. adjarica is provided osteological data for further comparative studies of other lizards. The descriptions and comparisons are based on 12 specimens, of which 10 adult and 2 juveniles for each species. Darevskia parvula and D. adjarica are highly conservative species and they have similar osteological features. The differences in the current study are the number of teeth for the cranial skeleton and the number of vertebrae for the postcranial. Darevskia parvula has a lower number of teeth than D. adjarica.

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The Artvin Lizard, Darevskia derjugini (Nikolsky, 1898), is distributed in the Black Sea coastal region of Turkey (Provinces of Trabzon, Rize and Artvin), Georgia, Azerbaijan and Russia.The vertical distribution of the species is up to 1700 m a.s.l. It is classified as “near threatened” in the IUCN red List of Threatened species. In this study, we investigated age structure, age at sexual maturity and lifespan (as demographic life-history traits) as well as body size of a Darevskia derjugini population (n=30, 13 males, 17 females) from Murgul, Artvin, using skeletochronology. Our findings indicated that age upon attaining sexual maturity was three years for both sexes in this high-altitude population. The maximum longevity was seven years. There was no statistically significant difference between male and female individuals in terms of average age. Female individuals were significantly larger than male individuals. As reported for many lizards, we found a significant positive relationship between age and body size within each sex of Artvin lizard. The information given about some life history characteristics of a near-threatened species in this study may contribute to effective conservation management in the future.

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Darevskia parvulais a rock lizard that is endemicfor Anatolia.The known distribution range of the species is limited on eastern and northeastern Anatolia. Although many morphological studies have been carried out onthe species, there are also molecular studies to construct its taxonomy in recent years. Four adult lizard specimens were collected from eastern Anatolia in 2016 during a herpetological field survey. We present a summary of a morphological features, and report new locality which is the westernmost record (Çayırlı Village, Erzincan) for D. parvula sensu lato in Turkey. Our finding largely extends the known distribution of the species.

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Over the four year period (2007–2010), the authors conducted a field study aimed at drawing up an inventory of batrachofauna and herpetofauna of the Zrmanja river catchment area. Eight species of amphibians and twenty one species of reptiles were detected; through the available literature overview two more reptilian and one amphibian species were added to the list. Therefore, we proved the presence of thirty two species in total. High diversity of amphibians and reptiles indicates great significance of this area and imposes the need to ensure survival of these species through long-term populations monitoring and conservation measures.

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In 2015 the author found several lizards of this complex, of which he was not able to determine the correct spercies name. The males had no pattern (concolor), the females had the normal dorsolateral stripes for this group. The animals were quite small and slender. Consultation with some herpetologists did not provide more clarity. Five years later the author received an e-mail from one of them (GENIEZ, pers. comm.), that it was probably a Catalonian Wall lizard, Podarcis liolepis. Concolor morphs have been described for this species, but these animals are larger in size and occur much further north. However, genomic data have confirmed that there is a southern lineage, clearly P. liolepis, but distinct from the northern animals, that is smaller in size and more flattened.

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Measuring the abundance of organisms is essential to provide information to ecology and biodiversity conservation.Hardly ever, the probability of detecting an animal during a survey is near one. Overlooking this observational process canlead to biased estimates of population size and vital rates. In this study, through Bayesian modeling, I evaluated the effects oftemperature, precipitation, wind, humidity, and phenology in determining changes in the detection probability of the commonwall lizard, for which studies on the factors determining detection probability are currently not available. Additionally, I testedfor two possible interactions: date-temperature and date-humidity, in order to assess if the relationships of these variableswith detection probability vary through the sampling season. Detection probability was highest earlier in the season (April)and between 24 and 28 degrees. Rainfall during the survey showed a negative effect on detection probability. In contrast,cumulative precipitation in the 24 hours before the survey showed a positive relationship, indicating that lizards are easierto detect in surveys after rainy days. Furthermore, date and temperature showed a positive interaction, indicating that therelationship between detectability and temperature changed over the sampling season. Date and humidity showed a negativeinteraction: late in the sampling season, detectability was higher with lower humidity, however, this relationship was not foundin the early season. Future studies can consider multiple sites to evaluate the extent of variation in the drivers of detectionprobability and to assess the factors related to abundance.

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Auf dem Territorium des Nationalparks Unteres Odertal wurden bisher (Stand Herbst 2012) insgesamt 11 Amphibien – und 6 Reptilienarten nachgewiesen. Eine Reptilienart wird in der Roten Liste Brandenburg in der Kategorie 1 „Vom Aussterben bedroht“ geführt. In der Kategorie 2 „Stark gefährdet“ sind es zwei Amphibienarten und eine Reptilienart und in der Kategorie 3 „Gefährdet“ sind es vier Amphibien- und zwei Reptilienarten. Das Schutzgebiet wird von zwei Amphibienarten und einer Reptilienart der FFH – RL, Anhang II sowie von sechs Amphibien- und drei Reptilienarten der FFH –RL, Anhang IV bewohnt. Der Nationalpark Unteres Odertal zeichnet sich damit durch eine artenreiche Herpetofauna mit einen hohen Anteil gefährdeter Arten aus.

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The author describes his observations on the Long-tailed Lizard (Takydromus sexlineatus) on Bali, near the City of Ubud. Some details on its ecology and habitat are highlighted. This diurnal lizard was found in a small patch of grassland. Takydromus sexlineatus was seen basking on dry gras and leaves. It shares his habitat with Eutropis (formerly Mabuya) multifasciata, Gekko gecko and Hemidactylus platyurus. On Bali Takydromus prefers a damp and warm environement.

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A winter activity of the Danford’s lizard, Anatololacerta danfordi(Günther, 1876) has been observed during two winter seasons in Sütçüler and Aksu districts of Ispartaprovince of Turkey. There is no information in the literature about the active season of this species. Our data showed that this lizard species may be active in winter. Activations of the adult individuals of the species mainly consisted of sunbathing on the rocks and preying

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After being voted «Reptile of the year 2020» the sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) was featered extensively in the publications and on the websites of the relevant specialist organizations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg (- not least in this magazine -), and it has repeatedly served as an attractive advertising medium for the protection of our amphibians and reptiles in the daily press. Nevertheless, numerous activities and conferences fell victim to the pandemic last year. And so it seems only logical to give the sand lizard a second chance. For this reason the German Society for Herpetology and Herpetoculture (DGHT), in cooperation with the Austrian Society for Herpetology (ÖGH), the Coordination Center for Amphibian and Reptile Protection in Switzerland (karch), the Natural History Museum Luxembourg (MNHN) and the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union Germany (NABU), annouce the sand lizard «Reptile of the Year 2021».

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Wall lizards have been expanding their areal more and more in Central Europe for more than 35 years, and have succesfully established many populations north of the known area boundary. The expansion has assumed rapid development in large parts, especially in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. There are also quite a few documented releases of lizards, but in many cases it is much more likely that the lizards being carried away by ship, train and truck. Pallet cages and euro-pallets, actually used for the transport and storage of natural stones, are populated quickly by lizards. In particular they are the transport vehicles for the wall lizards. When they arrive in locations that are favourable to them, the population increase rapidly and the lizards use railway lines, structures along the shipping canals, walls, industrial plants and fallow land, mining heaps, quarries and other anthropogenic structures to expand further. This expansion has not been dependent on active human exposure for at least twenty years. The animals spread by themselves. In this respect, the expansion throughout Central Europe, apart from climate change, has to a large extent long been a quasi-natural process that is only accelerated anthropogenic by passive desplacements.

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The author reports on the successful keeping and breeding of the Greek rock lizard in a terrarium.

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I have always loved the beautiful Pamphylian green lizard, and in 2016 I had the opportunity to get a pair of these animals. Here, I would like to describe my experiences in keeping and breeding the Pamphylian green lizard.

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Short note on the successful hibernation of young Podarcis muralis maculiventris.

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Short note on a subadult Podarcis melisellensis fiumanus feeding on a red-winged grasshopper on the Croatian island of Lošinj.

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Running inevitably causes the animal trunk to undulate. The consequential head rotations have to be stabilised in space for a steady gaze and an accurate sense of self-motion for balance. The ecology and anatomy of the species determine the necessity to stabilise the head in yaw, pitch, and roll direction. Terrestrial lizards, running with a sprawled body posture, are especially prone to undulations in the horizontal (yaw) plane. Measurements on an experimental oscillation platform show that Acanthodactylus pardalis lizards stabilise their head less in pitch direction (54% stabilisation) than in yaw and roll direction (66% and 64% stabilisation, respectively). Because we performed these experiments in darkness, the lizards based their head stabilisation on vestibular information. Hence, we hypothesised that their vestibular system is less sensitive in pitch direction than in yaw and roll direction. Yet, this was not confirmed by a detailed Fluid-Structure Interaction model of the membranous labyrinth, which showed that not pitch sensitivity (88% of yaw sensitivity), but roll sensitivity (73% of yaw sensitivity) is the lowest. So why is the head stabilisation in darkness almost as good in roll direction as in yaw direction? While this may be due to neurological nonlinearities, it seems worth noticing that the moment of inertia is lowest in roll direction due to the elongated head shape. Hence, less torque is needed to stabilise a head rotation in roll direction than in the other two directions.

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Harran Fringe-fingered Lizard, Acanthodactylus harranensishas been assumed to be endemic to Turkey so far. Here an ancient personal finding from Syria is presented that was recorded ten years beforethe classification of the species. The newly acquired distributional data of this endangered species is discussed, including the consequences about the survival of the species.

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Genomic divergence was studied in 10 small insular populations of the endangered Balearic Islands lizard (Podarcis lilfordi) using double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing. The objectives were to establish levels of divergence among populations, investigate the impact of population size on genetic variability and to evaluate the role of different environmental factors on local adaptation. Analyses of 72,846 SNPs supported a highly differentiated genetic structure, being the populations with the lowest population size (Porros, Foradada and Esclatasang islets) the most divergent, indicative of greater genetic drift. Outlier tests identified ~ 2% of loci as candidates for selection. Genomic divergence-Enviroment Association analyses were performed using redundancy analyses based on SNPs putatively under selection, detecting predation and human pressure as the environmental variables with the greatest explanatory power. Geographical distributions of populations and environmental factors appear to be fundamental drivers of divergence. These results support the combined role of genetic drift and divergent selection in shaping the genetic structure of these endemic island lizard populations.

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A starting point for this work was the intention of making a comparison between the present herpeto-faunistic situation in a precise piace, «Valle di Nom> in the west of Trentino, and that of the last century, as outlined in the works of Edoardo De Betta (1822-1896), the illustrious naturalist from the same piace. The data collected after three years of field research, bibliographic verification, inspection of public and private herpetological collections and interviews with local people and environmental operators, reveal that substantial changes have taken place since the research of Edoardo De Betta. The number of the present species is reduced -15 species remain out of the 21 mentioned in the past (DE BETTA, 1852, 1857, 1885) - and the condition of the various populations appears to be seriously compromised. This situation is likely to be connected to the numerous environmental changes happened in this Valley: forest and pasture situated on tablelands and geologica! terraces and large natural moist zones in the last century; extended zones used for fruit-growing (apple-trees) up to a height of 1000 m, reclamation of land and direct contro! of the irrigation network today.

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The current observations focused on the ultrastructure comparison between the tongue of two reptile species endemic the Egyptian fauna; Bosc`s fringe‐toed lizard Acanthodactylus boskianus and Sinai fan‐fingered gecko Ptyodactylus guttatus to exhibit the relationship between the lingual epithelium and its function according to their specific feeding strategy. A. boskianus possessed triangular elongated tongue with bifurcated tapering apex and wide base while; the P. guttatus had a triangular flattened tongue with conical shallow bifurcated apex and broad base. The ventral surface of the lingual apex of A. boskianus had transverse while in P. guttatus had two oval pads and median ventral groove. Both surfaces of the tongue of both examined species are covered by stratified squamous epithelium with great variability of degree of keratinization. The dorsal epithelium formed flattened and conical filiform papillae in A. boskianus, while in P. guttatus formed cylindrical papillae, conical, and tall filiform ones. Few taste buds are observed on the fore‐tongue but increase on the mid‐tongue of A. boskianus, while in P. guttatus, numerous taste buds are distributed on the fore‐tongue and mid‐tongue. Both surfaces of the laryngeal mound of both examined species provided with numerous of cilia and orifices of laryngeal gland. The present results confirmed that the tongue of A. boskianus acts as a chemoreceptor organ to follow pheromone trails of prey and mates. While in P. guttatus the tongue may play an important role in the feeding mechanism and act as a chemoreceptor organ.

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The incidence of tick-borne diseases has increased in recent years. Studies on sand lizards have demon-strated that they carry a number of acarid species. The purpose of this study was to identify the transmissible pathogenic organisms in Ixodes ricinus removed from Lacerta agilis in the Wielkopolska National Park in 2015. The ticks were identified using a stereomicroscope and by comparing with taxonomical descriptions. Isolation of DNA was performed using a Modified Genomic Maxi AX Direct. The primers used were those used for the detection of haemoparasites transmitted by ticks. In total, 56 nymphs and 34 larvae were re-moved from 15 of 47 examined lizards (overall tick prevalence 31.9%). Larvae and nymphs of Ixodes ricinuswere found on 12 lizards. The highest tick burden was 14 (nymphs). Successful PCR amplicons were fromRickettsia spp. These mono-specific infections did not allow analysis of interactions between co-occurring pathogens. It is clearly necessary to extend this work targeting a much larger sample size of sand lizards and to combine this with concurrent sampling of blood from lizards.

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Two species of rock lizards, the parthenogenetic D. dahli and the sexually reproducing D. portschinskii, coexist in a rocky outcrop in an area of ca. 1 ha, in the vicinity of Tbilisi, Georgia; the location has been well-known since the middle 1960s. The population density of the parthenogenetic lizard is five times higher than that of the sexual breeder. We studied the distribution of active lizards in space and time over three consecutive years, during the spring and autumn activity periods, to explore spatial and temporal differ-ences between the species on a fine spatial scale. We studied the influence of temperature, humidity, and quantitative characteristics of the surface and the distance from permanent water source on the spatial distribution of D. dahli and D. portschinskii. Darevskia portschinskii was less dependent on the distance from the water source and more evenly distributed in space and time than D. dahli. Despite potential competitive interactions, the species did not avoid each other on the microhabitat scale, suggesting that the observed ecological differences are not caused by a niche shift. More individuals of the sexual breeder than individuals of the parthenogen were found in suboptimal habitats. This feature may increase the evolutionary success of D. portschinskii in a long-term perspective.

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You are reading the first ecological atlas of the amphibians and reptiles of the province of Vlaams- Brabant, Flanders, Belgium. This report describes the distribution of 14 native and two exotic herpetofauna species across three periods covering a period of 30 years. Distribution maps show the current and past distribution range of the different amphibian and reptile species. In this way, a trend in distribution can be detected for different species. The density of observations is visualised for each species, presenting not only hotspots but also the regions with frequent observations and reports. The last ten years, in particular the period between 2008 and 2017, there was a strong increase in the number of observations. Thanks to the website ‘www.waarnemingen.be’, launched in 2008, almost 3.000 observations were reported every year by volunteers and professionals. In 2016 alone, 4.575 observations were centralised. This amount of data is close to the amount collected during the 20 years before the start of www.waarnemingen.be (6.533 observations between 1988 and 2007. In total, the number of observation increased fourfold since 2008. 32.260 observations of amphibians and reptiles covered 55,7% of all 1x1km UTM-squares in Vlaams-Brabant. During the period between 1988 and 2007 only 28,8% of the squares were represented by at least one observation. Despite the enormous increase in observations and accompanying knowledge about species distribution, we still see room for improvement, especially in comparison to provincial atlases in e.g. the Netherlands. Therefore, we still need structured and well-coordinated data collection to fill blank spots on the distribution maps of amphibians and reptiles. Vlaams-Brabant an important region as habitat for common species that are characterising for large forest complexes and lowland river valleys since they are relatively well-connected in this province. Furthermore, Vlaams-Brabant harbours a high percentage of the Flemish Fire salamander populations, e.g. in former Kolenwoud and Hageland. It also sustains populations of Palmate newt and Alpine newt. Landscapes characterised by meadows and hedgerows in (semi-)large river valleys in Vlaams-Brabant harbour important populations of Northern crested newt and Smooth newt. This kind of landscapes could also harbour additional, but yet undiscovered, Edible frog populations, despite the increase in observations of this hybrid during the last years. The hillier regions with forests and nutrient poor but wet grasslands in Vlaams-Brabant are important hotspots for the Viviparous lizard and Slowworm. In these areas, Common frog and Common toad are the most widespread species. As well as for Fire salamander, Vlaams-Brabant is of great importance for Common midwife toad and Barred grass snake. The province harbours an important part of their Flemish populations, independently of their small distribution ranges. The Common midwife toad benefitted in the past from extensive agriculture, abandoned lands, stone and sand quarries, and ruderal and accentuated terrains with an open vegetation structure in the hilly region of Brussels and Leuven. The Barred grass snake on the other hand established quite recently at the border with other provinces. Another newcomer is the Common wall lizard, which established two large populations in the broad region of Leuven at a very short time and presumably will expand further along railway infrastructure. The Marsh frog (sensu lato) is the main character of a similar story, but colonized garden ponds, ponds for livestock and larger artificial water bodies. We presume that this species/species group will extend his range even more in Vlaams-Brabant. The Natterjack toad and the Pool frog have a larger distribution area outside Vlaams-Brabant, nevertheless there are opportunities for these species in e.g. Averbode Bos en Heide and the Zuiderkempen-area. The persistence of the Natterjack toad is extremely critic at present in the province. Species like European tree frog, Common spadefoot toad and Smooth snake are (probably) extinct, since no observations have been made for decennia. However, this should not mean that they are lost forever in Vlaams-Brabant. In the neighbouring province of Limburg, the relatively mobile European tree frog is expanding and new populations of Smooth snakes have been discovered the past years. The latter is a very elusive species and it might still be possible that there are small populations present that have been overlooked. The Common spadefoot toad is critically endangered in Flanders, but as well a very difficult species to observe. Compared to other provinces, such as Antwerp and Limburg, Vlaams-Brabant has a lower number of observations. This can be attributed to the extensive areas of heathland with fens, the widespread marshlands and clusters of ponds which are absent in Vlaams-Brabant. These areas are home to other interesting species like Moor frog and Common viper and large populations of species that are rare in Vlaams-Brabant such as European tree frog and Pool frog. In this atlas, we assess each species (and hybrid or species complex) separately, with focus on ist habitat use in Vlaams-Brabant, the percentage of sighting in and outside nature reserves and their status of occurrence in the province. We compare this data with atlases of amphibians and reptiles from Belgium and foreign countries. Furthermore, we assess the accompanying species, current threats and conservation measures for each species. In the last paragraph, we focus on bottlenecks that are threatening the populations in Vlaams-Brabant and elsewhere. Based on success stories in the field concerning species conservation combined with common knowledge on nature conservation, we formulate concrete conservation measures for the native species. We also refer to specific reports and conservation programmes. In the last chapter, we briefly discuss species that are presumably extinct in Vlaams-Brabant as well as the status of the different exotic species reported in Vlaams-Brabant.

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Vorliegende Arbeit stellt die Ergebnisse der Kartierung der Herpetofauna im Stadtgebiet Saarbrückens vor. 16 Amphibien - und 6 Reptilienarten sind in Saarbrücken nachgewiesen . Aus den computerkartographisch erstellten Verbreitungskarten für jede einzelne Art erhält man eine flächen deckende Gesamtübersicht über die herpetologisch besonders schützenswerten Bereiche im sehr heterogenen Untersuchungsgebiet. ( * ) Schließlich werden Bioindikator- Qualität einzelner Arten diskutiert und Maßnahmen zu ihrer Erhaltung vorgeschlagen.

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The lacertid genus Pedioplanis is a moderately speciose group of small-bodied, cryptically-colored lizards found in arid habitats throughout southern Africa. Previous phylogenetic work on Pedioplanis has determined its placement within the broader context of the Lacertidae, but interspecific relations within the genus remain unsettled, particularly within the P. undata species complex, a group largely endemic to Namibia. We greatly expanded taxon sampling for members of the P. undata complex and other Pedioplanis, and generated molecular sequence data from 1,937 bp of mtDNA (ND2 and cyt b) and 2,015 bp of nDNA (KIF24, PRLR, RAG-1) which were combined with sequences from GenBank resulting in a final dataset of 455 individuals. Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses recover similar phylogenetic results and reveal the polyphyly of P. undata and P. inornata as presently construed. We con- firm that P. husabensis is sister to the group comprising the P. undata complex plus the Angolan sister species P. huntleyi + P. haackei and demonstrate that P. benguelensis lies outside of this clade in its entirety. The complex itself comprises six species including P. undata, P. inornata, P. rubens, P. gaerdesi and two previously undescribed entities. Based on divergence date estimates, the P. undata species complex began diversifying in the late Miocene (5.3 ± 1.6 MYA) with the most recent cladogenetic events dating to the Plio- cene (2.6 ± 1.0 MYA), making this assemblage relatively young compared to the genus Pedioplanis as a whole, the origin of which dates back to the mid-Miocene (13.5 ± 1.8 MYA). Using an integrative approach, we here describe Pedioplanis branchi sp. nov. and Pedioplanis mayeri sp. nov. representing northern populations previously assigned to P. inornata and P. undata, respectively. These entities were first flagged as possible new species by Berger-Dell’mour and Mayer over thirty years ago but were never formally described. The new species are supported chiefly by differences in coloration and by unique amino acid substitutions. We provide comprehensive maps depicting historical records based on museum specimens plus new records from this study for all members of the P. undata complex and P. husabensis. We suggest that climatic oscillations of the Upper Miocene and Pliocene-Pleistocene era in concert with the formation of biogeographic barriers have led to population isolation, gene flow restrictions and ultimately cladogenesis in the P. undata complex.

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Acanthodactylus Wiegmann, 1834 is one of the most diverse and widespread lizard genus in the Palearctic realm. Here, we describe a new species, - Acanthodactylus ilgazi sp. nov. - from the Anatolian Peninsula. This new species ranges approximately 250 km north from the closest population of this genus in Turkey. Compared to other fringefingered lizards, the new species is phylogenetically close to A. robustus, A. tristrami and A. orientalis but it has some distinct morphological characteristics: reddish coloration under the tail, a sharp white or grayish stripe in the middle of the dorsum, and four plates in a row on the 4th finger. Moreover, phylogenetic molecular data, based on cyt b gene fragment, verifies that the new species is phylogenetically a member of the tristrami species group with 13.03%, 17.35% and 20.56 genetic distance respectively from A. orientalis, A. tristrami and A. robustus. Lastly, the known range of this species, located in Yazıhan, Malatya in Eastern Anatolia, is restricted by a dam, thus habitat loss endangers its continuity. Therefore, the conservation status of this species should be assessed immediately.

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Climate has a large impact on diversity and evolution of the world’s biota. The Eocene–Oligocene transition from tropical climate to cooler, drier environments was accompanied by global species turnover. A large number of Old World lacertid lizard lineages have diversified after the Eocene–Oligocene boundary. One of the most speciose reptile genera in the arid Palearctic, Acanthodactylus, contains two sub-Saharan species with unresolved phylogenetic relationship and unknown climatic preferences. We here aim to understand how and when adaptation to arid conditions occurred in Acanthodactylus and when tropical habitats where entered. Using whole mitogenomes from fresh and archival DNA and published sequences we recovered a well-supported Acanthodactylus phylogeny and underpinned the timing of diversification with environmental niche analyses of the sub-Saharan species A. guineensis and A. boueti in comparison to all arid Acanthodactylus. We found that A. guineensis represents an old lineage that splits from a basal node in the Western clade, and A. boueti is a derived lineage and probably not its sister. Their long branches characterize them—and especially A. guineensis—as lineages that may have persisted for a long time without further diversification or have undergone multiple extinctions. Environmental niche models verified the occurrence of A. guineensis and A. boueti in hot humid environments different from the other 42 arid Acanthodactylus species. While A. guineensis probably remained in tropical habitat from periods prior to the Eocene–Oligocene boundary, A. boueti entered tropical environments independently at a later period. Our results provide an important baseline for studying adaptation and the transition from humid to arid environments in Lacertidae.

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Behavioral thermoregulation is an efficient mechanism to buffer the physiological effects of climate change. Thermal ecology studies have traditionally tested how thermal constraints shape thermoregulatory behaviors without accounting for the potential major effects of landscape structure and water availability. Thus, we lack a general understanding of the multifactorial determinants of thermoregulatory behaviors in natural populations. In this study, we quantified the relative contribution of elevation, thermal gradient, moisture gradient, and landscape structure in explaining geographic variation in thermoregulation strategies of a terrestrial ectotherm species. We measured field‐active body temperature, thermal preferences, and operative environmental temperatures to calculate thermoregulation indices, including thermal quality of the habitat and thermoregulation efficiency for a very large sample of common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) from 21 populations over 3 yr across the Massif Central mountain range in France. We used an information‐theoretic approach to compare eight a priori thermo‐hydroregulation hypotheses predicting how behavioral thermoregulation should respond to environmental conditions. Environmental characteristics exerted little influence on thermal preference with the exception that females from habitats with permanent access to water had lower thermal preferences. Field body temperatures and accuracy of thermoregulation were best predicted by the interaction between air temperature and a moisture index. In mesic environments, field body temperature and thermoregulation accuracy increased with air temperature, but they decreased in drier habitats. Thermoregulation efficiency (difference between thermoregulation inaccuracy and the thermal quality of the habitat) was maximized in cooler and more humid environments and was mostly influenced by the thermal quality of the habitat. Our study highlights complex patterns of variation in thermoregulation strategies, which are mostly explained by the interaction between temperature and water availability, independent of the elevation gradient or thermal heterogeneity. Although changes in landscape structure were expected to be the main driver of extinction rate of temperate zone ectotherms with ongoing global change, we conclude that changes in water availability coupled with rising temperatures might have a drastic impact on the population dynamics of some ectotherm species.

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The authors have studied the Amphibians and Reptiles of the Fer-riere Valley (Amalfi, SA), a locality near Amalfi on the Sorrentine Peninsula, where flows the torrent Ceraso. This area is peculiar from a climatic point of view, favou-ring the survival of Woodwardìa radicans (L.) Sm (Filicopsida, Blechnaceae), a relict of the Tertiary period. The following species were found: Salamandra salamandra, Salamandrina ter digitata, Bufo bufo, Rana dal mat ina, Rana graeea, Tarentola mauri-tanica, Lacerto viridis, Podarcis sicula, Coluber virìdiflavus, Elaphe longissima, Elaphe quatuorlineata, Natrix natrix, Vipera aspis. The phytogeografìc and faunistic impor-tance of biotope is emphasized.

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Metallothioneins (MTs) are an evolutionary conserved multigene family of proteins whose role was initially identified in binding essential metals. The physiological role of MT, however, has been revealed to be more complex than expected, since not only are MTs able to bind to toxic heavy metals, but many isoforms have shown specialized and alternative functions. Within this uncertainty, the information available on MTs in non-mammalian vertebrates, particularly in neglected tetrapods such as the reptiles, is even more scant. In this review, we provide a summary of the current understanding on metallothionein presence and function in the oviparous lizard Podarcis sicula, highlighting the results obtained by studying MT gene expression in most representative adult and embryonic tissues. The results demonstrate that in adults, cadmium induces MT transcription in a dose- and tissue-specific manner. Thus, the MT mRNAs appear, at least in some cases, to be an unsuitable tool for detecting environmental ion contamination. In early embryos, maternal RNAs sustain developmental needs for MT protein until organogenesis is well on its way. At this time, transcription starts, but again in a tissue- and organ-specific manner, suggesting an involvement in alternative roles. In conclusion, the spatiotemporal distribution of transcripts in adults and embryos definitively confirms that MT has deserved the title of elusive protein.

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The results of studies on the amphibians and reptiles of the Leaota mountains (Dâmboviţa, Argeş and Braşov counties, Romania), a meeting-point of three Natura 2000 sites (Piatra Craiului, Leaota and Bucegi) forming a wildlife corridor, are presented. Twelve amphibian and 4 reptile species were identified in the field. Their distribution within and around the site is discussed, together with some data on the status of the local population. We remark the relative paucity of reptile species.

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Nine reptile species inhabited on the five sites in the Orenburgsky State Nature Reserve, these are Emys orbicularis, Eremias arguta, Lacerta agilis, Zootoca vivipara, Natrix natrix, N. tessellata, Coronella austriaca, Elaphe dione, and Vipera renardi. Lacerta agilis is the only abundant species. Over the last 20-25 years, the abundance of at least three species (Emys orbicularis, Zootoca vivipara, Natrix natrix) has decreased in some clusters of the reserve.

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Die Verbreitung der Reptilien im Stadtgebiet von Halle/Saale (Sachsen-Anhalt) wird beschrieben. Dazu gibt es einen großen Fundus historischer Daten. Die aktuellen Daten von 1963-2006 wurden in Verbreitungskarten dargestellt und durch Angaben zur Habitatnutzung, zur Phänologie und zur Gefährdung ergänzt. Gegenwärtig kommen drei autochthone Reptilienarten in der Stadt Halle vor, wovon die Zauneidechse (Lacerta agilis) die häufigste ist. Ringelnatter (Natrix natrix) und Blindschleiche (Anguis fragilis) sind dagegen seltener. Die Waldeidechse (Zootoca vivipara) gilt seit den 1970er Jahren als verschollen. Die Herkunft der neuerdings beobachteten Mauereidechse (Podarcis muralis) ist unbekannt. Die xerothermophilen Zauneidechsen leben an sonnenexponierten Habitaten vorwiegend im nördlichen Saaletal von Halle, wo sie in den Porphyrkuppen nördlich und südlich der Saale und im Saaletal selbst und auf der angrenzenden Hochfläche am Südwestrand der Dölauer Heide stellenweise sehr große Populationen aufbauen. Die Blindschleiche zeigte in der Stadt Halle deutlich eine enge Bindung an mäßig feuchte Waldhabitate und deren Randlagen. Sie kommt fast ausschließlich im Nordwesten der Stadt in der Dölauer Heide vor. Eine kleine Population lebt im Stadtzentrum im Botanischen Garten. Historische Daten legen nahe, dass die Ringelnatter etwa seit den 1940er Jahren aus der Saaleaue im Norden und im Süden in das Stadtgebiet eingewandert ist. Als Bewohner der Feuchtgebiete lebt sie im Bereich von Gewässern in den Randzonen im Norden (Dölauer Heide, dem Brandberggebiet und den Mötzlicher Teichen). Hier wurden auch regelmäßig Gelege und Jungtiere nachgewiesen. Im Osten der Stadt gelangen nur Einzelnachweise bei Kanena, bei Osendorf und bei der Reidemündung bei Döllnitz. Der Botanische Garten, mitten im Siedlungsgebiet liegend, bietet zeitweise einzelnen Ringelnattern Unterschlupf. Der Getraudenfriedhof im Norden der Stadt scheint dagegen ein dauerhaftes Vorkommen zu beherbergen (jährlich Funde von Jungtieren). Für alle drei Reptilienarten ist das Zurückdrängen der Tiere auf periphere Saum- und Restflächen typisch. Die intensive Landnutzung und die gestiegene Zahl verwildeter Katzen gefährden die Bestände. Hohe Schutzprioritäten besitzen strukturreiche Trockenbiotope, Waldrandlagen und urbane Hinterlassenschaften wie Schotterhalden, Bahndämme und Abbaugebiete von Erdstoffen.

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One of the greatest current threats to biodiversity is climate change. However, understanding of organismal responses to fluctuations in temperature and water availability is currently lacking, especially during fundamental life-history stages such as reproduction. To further explore how temperature and water availability impact maternal physiology and reproductive output, we used the viviparous form of the European common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) in a two-by-two factorial design manipulating both hydric and thermal conditions, for the first time. We collected blood samples and morphological measurements during early pregnancy and post-parturition to investigate how water availability, temperature and a combination of the two influence maternal phenology, morphology, physiology and reproductive output. We observed that dehydration during gestation negatively affects maternal physiological condition (lower mass gain, higher tail reserve mobilization) but has little effect on reproductive output. These effects are mainly additive to temperature regimes, with a proportional increase in maternal costs in warmer environments. Our study demonstrates the importance of considering combined effects of water and temperature when investigating organismal responses to climate changes, especially during periods crucial for species survival such as reproduction

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Thermoregulation is critical for ectotherms as it allows them to maintain their body temperature close to an optimum for ecological performance. Thermoregulation includes a range of behaviors that aim at regulating body temperature within a range centered around the thermal preference. Thermal preference is typically measured in a thermal gradient in fully-hydrated and post-absorptive animals. Short-term effects of the hydric environment on thermal preferences in such set-ups have been rarely quantified in dry-skinned ectotherms, despite accumulating evidence that dehydration might trade-off with behavioral thermoregulation. Using experiments performed under controlled conditions in climatic chambers, we demonstrate that thermal preferences of a ground-dwelling, actively foraging lizard (Zootoca vivipara) are weakly decreased by a daily restriction in free-standing water availability (less than 0.5°C contrast). The influence of air humidity during the day on thermal preferences depends on time of the day and sex of the lizard, and is generally weaker than those of of free-standing water (less than 1°C contrast). This shows that short-term dehydration can influence, albeit weakly, thermal preferences under some circumstances in this species. Environmental humidity conditions are important methodological factors to consider in the analysis of thermal preferences.

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Wall lizards of the genus Podarcis (Sauria, Lacertidae) are the predominant reptile group in southern Europe, including 24 recognized species. Mitochondrial DNA data have shown that, with the exception of P. muralis, the Podarcis species distributed in the Balkan peninsula form a species group that is further sub-divided into two subgroups: the one of “P. tauricus” consisting of P. tauricus, P. milensis, P. gaigeae, and P. melisellensis, and the other of “P. erhardii” comprising P. erhardii, P. levendis, P. cretensis, and P. peloponnesiacus. In an attempt to explore the Balkan Podarcis phylogenomic relationships, assess the levels of genetic structure and to re-evaluate the number of extant species, we employed phylogenomic and admixture approaches on ddRADseq (double digested Restriction site Associated DNA sequencing) genomic data. With this efficient Next Generation Sequencing approach, we were able to obtain a large number of genomic loci randomly distributed throughout the genome and use them to resolve the previously obscure phylogenetic relationships among the different Podarcis species distributed in the Balkans. The obtained phylogenomic relationships support the monophyly of both aforementioned subgroups and revealed several divergent lineages within each subgroup, stressing the need for taxonomic re-evaluation of Podarcis’ species in Balkans. The phylogenomic trees and the species delimitation analyses confirmed all recently recognized species (P. levendis, P. cretensis, and P. ionicus) and showed the presence of at least two more species, one in P. erhardii and the other in P. peloponnesiacus.

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Background.The Central Black-Earth region is an extensive territory with vari-ous physiographic conditions where the distribution and morphology of the steppe-runner are studied rather incompletely. And in particular, when carrying out this re-search our goal was to specify the habitat of the steppe-runner within the Central Black-Earth region and to study the features of external morphology of this species. Materials and methods. The research was conducted during field seasons of 2007–2017 in the territory of two regions of the Central Black-Earth region – Belgo-rod region and Voronezh region. For studying of external morphological features 28 individuals of the steppe-runner from two localities of Voronezh region were used. In the analysis of variability of proportions of a body and a pholidosis 17 signs were considered. The statistical analysis was carried out by means of the Statistica 10.0 program. Results and conclusions. As a result of the conducted research it has been estab-lished that the distribution of the steppe-runner within the Central Black-Earth re-gion coincides with sands of pine-forest terraces of the rivers. The northern border of the species’ habitat in the explored territory passes across Belgorod and Voronezh regions between 50 and 52° n.l. In the analysis of the quantitative and qualitative signs of the steppe-runner was found out that males authentically differ from fe-males in the tail length and the body-tail length ratio. When comparing with east and southern populations, the steppe-runners studied by us have rather smaller sizes of the tail and a smaller number of femoral pores.

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Im Nordwesten von Leipzig wurden von 2006 bis August 2013 insgesamt 116 Beobachtungsdaten der vier hier gegenwärtig bodenständigen und einer allochthonen Reptilienarten gesammelt und ausgewertet. Dominierende Art ist mit 58 Nachweisen die Zauneidechse, gefolgt von Ringelnatter (40), Waldeidechse (9), Blindschleiche (8) und der eingeschleppten Mauereidechse mit nur einem Nachweis. Einen relativ hohen Anteil an den Nachweisen haben Totfunde, wovon ganz besonders die Ringelnatter betroffen ist, bei der über 50 % der Nachweise Totfunde sind.

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Lizard toe fringes are composed of laterally projecting elongated scales and have arisen independently at least 26 times in seven families of lizards. Four different fringe types are identified: triangular, projectional, conical and rectangular. To determine if variation in fringe morphology can be attributed to environmental differences, each independent evolution of a fringe type is identified; correlation of substrate types with evolutionarily independent fringe morphologies are thrn studied. Variation in fringe morphology shows a strong association with substrate type: triangular, projectional and conical fringes with windblown sand; and rectangular fringes with watcr. Some aspects of fringe morphology may result from differences in functional requirements, and others may have no adaptive significance. This example of convergent evolution points out difficulties inherent to comparative studies of adaptation and underscores the value of broad comparative surveys which provide an alternative to ad hor adaptive explanations of similarity.

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We studied 237 samples of Zootoca vivipara from two region of Occidental Carpathians (64 samples from Semenic Mounrtains and 173 samples from Bihor Mountains). We analyzed characteristics of the pholydosys, chromatic and biometric characteristics. After we calculated the ratio of each investigated character and the variation quotient. Besides the existences of a special inter- population variability, we noticed the existence of a large intra-population variability. According to almost all the investigated characteristics in the analyzed Zootoca vivipara populations are heterogeneous or little heterogeneous.

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Die Herpetofauna des ehemaligen Kiessandtagebaus der Schönauer Lachen in Leipzig wird beschrieben. Dazu gibt es einen großen Fundus historischer und aktueller Daten, der in der Diskussion ausgewertet wird. Für das Untersuchungsgebiet sind insgesamt 11 Amphibien- und 4 Reptilienarten bekannt, von denen 7 Amphibien- und 3 Reptilienarten in den letzten drei Jahren nachgewiesen werden konnten. Hinzu kommt die Vermutung auf ein aktuelles Vorkommen von Lissotriton vulgaris. Von den aktuell nachgewiesenen Arten treten nur Pelophylax „esculentus“ und P. ridibundus in größeren Populationsstärken auf. Die übrigen Amphibien- und Reptilienarten scheinen nur Teilbereiche zu besiedeln und in kleineren Populationen aufzutreten; darunter die für das Stadtgebiet als „selten“ (Grosse & Tschierschke 2011) eingestuften Arten Bufo viridis und Hyla arborea. Das abundanzschwache Auftreten ökologisch anspruchsvollerer Amphibienarten ist vermutlich im Wesentlichen auf das geringe Angebot an herpetologisch wertvollen Strukturen und Biotopen zurückzuführen. Insbesondere unter der Berücksichtigung der abundanzschwachen Vorkommen von B. viridis und H. arborea sollten Maßnahmen zur Habitatverbesserung getroffen werden, um die Populationen auf Dauer erhalten zu können. Eine Habitatoptimierung würde weiterhin die (herpetologische) Bedeutung des geplanten LSG Schönauer Lachen für den Biotopverbund der Stadt Leipzig stärken und eine deutliche Aufwertung der Trittsteinfunktion zwischen dem nördlichen Auenwald (und Kleewinkel) und den Kulkwitzer Lachen darstellen. Die Aufwertung der Trittsteinfunktion wäre insbesondere für die Leipziger H. arborea- und Bombina bombina-Populationen von hoher Bedeutung.

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The Japanese grass lizard, Takydromus tachydromoides, is a species endemic to Japan. While several studies have investigated the reproductive ecology of T. tachydromoides, the embryogenesis of this species has not been reported in detail. In the current study, we observed the external morphological characteristics of 247 embryo specimens that developed under a constant temperature (28°C) throughout the duration from oviposition to hatching. We identified 17 consecutive developmental stages for the postovipositional developmental process of this species based on the staging criteria that have been widely used for the description of embryogenesis of lizards. The youngest embryos on the day of oviposition corresponded to stage 26, which is a relatively early period in pharyngula stages, and juveniles hatched at stage 42, approximately 30 days after oviposition. The entire developmental sequence of key morphological features was shared with other species of Lacertidae, except for the timing of the beginning of the first body pigmentation. This is the first description of the complete sequence of postovipositional developmental stages for the oviparous species of Lacertidae, providing valuable information for further evolutionary developmental studies.

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The use of roads and the mortality by traffi c collision were assessed for three lizard species ( Lacerta bilineata, Podarcis sicula, Podarcis muralis) in a hilly area of central Italy. Roads were chosen to include two different habitats and two different traffi c levels, resulting in four categories. For both habitats, the density of lizards using roads was signifi cantly higher at lower traffi c levels; the density of road killing was signifi cantly higher on roads at low traffi c too. Among the three species, the mortality of Lacerta bilineata was higher on low traffi c roads crossing pasture with shrubs.

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One of the main functions of physiological color change is thermoregulation.This change occurs much more rapidly than morphological color change, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we studied the thermal dependence and molecular basis of physiological color change inlizards using Takydromus septentrionalis (Lacertidae) as the model system. Body color was thermally sensitive, becoming increasingly light as body temperatures deviated from the level (~30 °C) preferred by this species. We identified 3,389 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between lizards at 24 °C and 30 °C, and 1,097 DEGs between lizards at 36 °C and 30 °C. Temperature affected the cAMP signal pathway, motor proteins, cytoskeleton, and the expression of genes related to melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) and melanocyte-concentrating hormone (MCH). Our data suggest that the role of physiological color change in thermoregulation is achieved in T. septentrionalisby altering the arrangement of pigments and thus the amount of solar radiation absorbed and reflected. G protein-coupling system inhibits adenylate cyclase activity to transform ATP into cAMP and thereby causes rapid pigment aggregation. MCH deactivates the G proteins and thereby initiates pigment dispersion. This mechanism differs from that reported for teleost fish where MCH activates the G proteins and thereby causes pigment aggregation.

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The invasive snake Hemorrhois hippocrepis colonized the island of Ibiza (Balearic Islands) in 2003 as stowaways inside trunks of olive trees imported for gardening. It has quickly spread since 2010, posing a threat to the island’s only remaining endemic vertebrate, the Ibiza wall lizard Podarcis pityusensis. We map the yearly expansion rate of the snake and estimate via transect surveys how severely it affects the distribution and abundance of the endemic lizard. As well, we surveyed nine of 30 small lizard populations on islets surrounding Ibiza that have been isolated since the Last Glacial Maximum. Snakes had invaded 49% of Ibiza’s land area by 2018, and censuses show a critical contrast in lizard abundance between areas with and without snakes; almost all censuses in areas without snakes show lizard presence whereas nearly all censuses in areas with H. hippocrepis lack lizard sightings. Moreover, at least one subspecies previously thriving on one of the offshore islets has become extinct, and there have been several snakes recorded swimming between Ibiza and the surrounding islets. Therefore, lizard populations have been dramatically reduced or have vanished within the range of the snake, and our results quantitatively support upgrading this species’ threat level for extinction. This study can inform to programs to manage invasive snake populations and to conservation actions to recover the endemic lizard.

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The range of superspecific complex of rock lizards Darevskia (caucasica) (D. alpina, D. c. caucasica, D. c. vedeni- ca, D. daghestanica) includes the Main Caucasian ridge and its spurs on the southern and northern macroslopes within heights from 500 m to 3200 m above sea level. A fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1096 bp) was analyzed in 48 specimens of these lizards. Specimens were collected in 23 localities. We have found 39 unique haplotypes. The minimum genetic diversity was found in D. c. vedenica, maximum in D. c. caucasica. All taxa of the complex, except for D. c. vedenica, demonstrate genetic heterogeneity. Four clades can be distinguished on the dendrogram of phylogenetic relationships. They correspond to D. alpina, D. c. caucasica, D. c. vedenica, D. dagh- estanica. D. c. caucasica forms two distinct haplogroups. On the phylogenetic tree, the sample of D. c. vedenica formed an independent clade close to D. c. caucasica. The Darevskia (caucasica) complex is polyphyletic accord- ing to the analysis of the mitochondrial marker. Nucleotide sequences of D. alpina formed a single clade with Darevskia (saxicola) complex representatives and combined with the sequences of D. brauneri into subclade. On the example of the population of D. daghestanica, found in a forest biotope without rocky outcrops and genetically not differing from individuals from the adjacent territory, the ability of rocky lizards to master biotopes unusual for them in a short period of time was demonstrated. This example demonstrates the ability of rock lizards to adapt to unusual biotopes in a short period of time. Genetic distance between D. c. vedenica and D. c. caucasica is com- parable to the distance between D. c. caucasica and D. daghestanica. We assume the existence of an independent form of D. caucasica ssp. inhabiting South Ossetia and adjacent territories.

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may change their phenotype along the altitudinal gradient being adapted to the local conditions. Consequently, elevational gradients constitute a good model to examine geographic variation offering a natural experiment for carrying out research in evolutionary ecology. In this thesis, I carry out different approaches to study two lizard species along two elevational gradients in the Mediterranean region.On the one hand,I studythe Atlas day gecko Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharusin the High Atlas of Morocco. On the otherhand, I studythe large Psammodromus Psammodromus algirusin Sierra Nevadaof Spain. In the first chapter I study the Atlas day gecko trophic ecology.It is hypothesized that increased competition should reduce niche breadth. However, there are scarce field tests on this hypothesis. TheAtlas day geckofaces fewer competitors as altitude increases, and thereby, we predict that this species should increase niche breadth and relevant fitness parameters with altitude.We tested this prediction by analysingthe isotopic signature of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N). Our results reveal that specimens from higher altitudes showed higher values for both carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes, had better body condition and a greater isotopic breadth when compared to specimens from lower altitudes. Altitudinal variation in carbon values was not explained by variation in isotopic concentration in the baseline of the trophic chain. Therefore, resultssupport the prediction that relaxed interspecific competition favours increased trophic niche breadth. These results also suggest that global warming may represent an important threat for this species, as it may provoke the ascent in altitude of competitors, with negative consequences for the conservation of this endemism. In the second chapter, I study the variation in probability and intensity of infestationof blood-sucking mites parasitizingthe Atlas day gecko depending on host body condition, sex, and elevation.Parasitism is one of the main selective forces in nature,strongly affecting host fitness. Still, knowledge is incomplete concerning how variation in probability and intensity of infestationdepends on body condition, sex or geographic variables. I found that mite prevalence was58.75% and probability of infestation decreased with hostbody condition.However, parasitism intensity tended to increase with body condition. The parasite load ranged from 0 to 16 mites per individual, with a mean intensity of 3.0 ± 0.37 (SE) in infested geckos.Prevalence was higher in males (2/3 parasitized) than in females (1/2 parasitized), but intensitydid not significantly differ with sex. Neither prevalence nor intensity varied with elevation. In conclusion, geckos in better body condition harboured heavier parasite loads, but animals with the highest body condition were not infested. These findings suggest that animals with goodbody condition may tolerate heavier mite infestations, but only animals with the highest body condition may resist infestation.In the third chapterIanalysehow lifespan and other life-history traits of the lizard large Psammodromus Psammodromus algirusvary along a 2,200 m elevational gradient in Sierra Nevada.Lifespan is one of the main components of life history. Shorter lifespans can be expected in marginal habitats. However, in the case of ectotherms, lifespan typically increases with altitude, even though temperature –one of the main factors to determine ectotherms’ life history–declines with elevation. This pattern can be explained by the fact that a shorter activity time favours survival. Populations at intermediate altitudes, corresponding to the optimal habitat for this species, had the shortest lifespans, while populations inhabiting marginal habitats (at both low and at high altitudes) lived longest. Therefore, this lizard did not follow the typical pattern of ectotherms, as it also lived longer at the lower limit of its distribution, nor did it show a longer lifespanin areas with optimal habitats. These results might be explained by a complex combination of different gradients along the mountain, namely that activity time decreases with altitude whereas food availability increases. This could explain why lifespan wasmaximum at both high (limited activity time) and low (limited food availability) altitudes, resulting in similar lifespans in areas with contrasting environmental conditions. This studyalso indicated that reproductive investment and body condition increase with elevation, suggesting that alpine populations are locally adapted. In the fourth chapterIinvestigate the role of life-history traits such as age, sex, body size, body condition, and tail autotomy (i.e self-amputation) in shaping telomere length of six populations of the large Psammodromus in Sierra Nevada. The timing of organisms’ senescence is developmentally programmed but also shaped by the interaction between environmental inputs and life-history traits. In ectotherms, ageing dynamics are still poorly understood despite their particularities concerning thermoregulation, regeneration capacity, or growth trajectory. Our cross-sectional study shows that older lizards have longer telomeres, which might be linked to a higher expression of telomerase across their life or caused by the selective disappearance of individuals with shorter telomeres. Variation in telomere across elevation was explained by age structure of lizards, thus altitude had no effect on the telomere length of lizards. In contrastto our predictions, telomere length was unaffected by tail autotomy, and was sex-independent, but positively correlated with body condition. Regarding the lack of impacts of elevation on telomeres of lizards, our results suggest that life-history traits such as age and body condition can be major drivers of telomere dynamics for this lizard, whereas environmental conditions apparently had scarce or no effects on their telomeres. Our findings emphasize the relevance of understanding species’ life histories and habitat characteristics for fully disentangling the causes and consequences of lifespan trajectory in ectotherms.

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Se reporta el primer registro conocido de depredación por parte de un ejemplar de garza imperial (Ardea purpurea) sobre ejemplares adultos de lagartija colilarga (Psammodromus algirus), en el Paraje Natural Desembocadura del río Guadalhorce (Sur de España). Además, se compara la abundancia conocida para la lagartija en diferentes hábitats forestales con la abun-dancia estimada en un hábitat costero asociado a un humedal salobre.

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During geographical expansion of a species individual colonizers have to confront different ecological challenges, and the capacity of the species to broaden its range may depend on the total amount of adaptive genetic variation supplied by evolution. Weset out to test whether the distribution of loci under selection along a contrasting environmental gradient can be turned into a model that accurately predicts a species’ range. If positive, this may shed light on the genetic source of adaptive limits that shape range boundaries. We sampled five populations of the western Mediterranean lizard Psammodromus algirus that inhabit a noticeable environmental gradient of temperature and precipitation. We used 21 SNPs putatively under selection tocorrelate the genotypes of 95 individuals with environmental variation among their populations, using 1x1 km2 grid cells assampling units. By extrapolating the resulting model to all possible combinations of alleles, we inferred the locations that were the oretically suitable for the species. The inferred distribution range overlapped to a large extent with the realized range ofthe species, including an accurate prediction of internal gaps and range borders. Our results suggest an adaptability threshold determined by the amount of genetic variation available that would be required to warrant adaptation beyond a certain limitof environmental variation. These results support the idea that the expansion of a species’ range may be ultimately linked to the arising of new variants under selection.

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This paper analyses the literature published in the last 17 years regarding records of albinism, axanthism, erythrism, leucism, melanism, nigrism or piebaldism, among other chromatic anomalies in Iberian herps.Whereas hipomelanistic disorders showed to be more widespread, melanism cases had a high occurrence pattern in the northern side of the Iberian Peninsula.We suggest that thermal melanism could be an adaptive advantage for ectotherms. Notwithstanding this, we also discuss the possible negative effect of the color aberrations taking into account differences in pre-dation pressure.

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Islands are compelling natural laboratories for studying evolutionary processes. Nevertheless, the existence of general rules underlying morphological evolution on islands remains an unresolved issue. In this study, we investigated the insular phenotypic variability of the Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus) on a large geographical scale, in order to assess the putative existence of an island effect on three morphological head traits: shape, size and degree of sexual dimorphism. A geometric morphometric analysis was performed on 30 island and 24 mainland populations, involving a total of 992 specimens, and we analysed differences in both mean trait values and variances (disparity). We found increased shape disparity in insular lizards with respect to mainland ones. On the other hand, both size disparity and mean head dimensions of males decreased on islands, leading to a reduction in sexual dimorphism. Our results provide evidence for a multidirectional morphological diversification on islands concerning head shape of both sexes, while directional and canalizing selection likely occurred for head size, but only in males. Our findings improve our knowledge on the effect of insularity in Podarcis siculus, and highlight the need for an exstensive sampling scheme and a multi-trait methodological approach.

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The aimof this study was to determine the spatial use of the main biophysical elements present in the agro-silvo-pastoral system (trees and shrubs, fallen trunks and branches, rocky outcrops and pilesof stones/walls) by three lizard speciess: Acanthodactylus erythrurus, Podarcis virescensand Psammodromus algirus. However, A. erythruruswas not found in the ten plots studied. For the remaining two species, the hypothesis tests showed that there are differences in the number of individuals when comparing the fiveplots with grazing with the five plots without grazing,within the montado landscape. Where there are rocky outcrops, P. virescens predominates (especially in grazing areas), while Ps. algirusmainly occurs in areas without grazing. At the same time, there are also differences in the elements used as a perch and as a refuge between the two lizards. This type of work helps the creation of management plans by farmers and owners / decision makers, towardsan efficient conservation of reptiles.

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Between 5.5 and 7.0 m.y. B.P. the formation of the Strait of Gibraltar allowed water from the Atlantic Ocean to fill the basin now known as the Mediterranean Sea. This event divided the amphibian and reptile fauna then inhabiting southern Spain and northern Morocco into allopatric and, presumably, conspecific faunas. Because the strait has continued from its formation to the present as a geographic barrier to the exchange of terrestrial vertebrates between Africa and Europe, this region and its native herpetofauna provide a natural laboratory in which various tenets of current biogeographic theory may be evaluated. Electrophoretically obtained allozymic data allowed an empirical biogeographic analysis of the trans-Gibraltar herpetofauna. Estimates of accumulated genetic distance (Nei`s D) varied from 0.0 to 0.6 between Spanish and Moroccan populations of 17 conspecific taxa. Further examination of these genetic data demonstrated that the rate of migration between these two continental populations was greater than or less than the estimated rate of mutation. European and African populations of several taxa traditionally presumed to be homogeneous were shown to be genically heterogeneous. Analysis of the distribution of alleles within and between continental populations suggests that the ability to maintain genetic continuity across the marine barrier varies from species to species. No demonstrable correlation was found between degree of habitat specificity and frequency of occurrence of individuals, and the genic differentiation demonstrated by Spanish populations of each taxon.

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Circum‐Sicilian and Maltese herpetofauna includes 22 species occurring with steady populations, andsome of them (Pelophylax bedriagae, Trachemys scripta, Chamaeleo chamaeleon, Hemorrhois algirus and perhapsTelescopus fallax) were introduced during the last two centuries, while for other 7 at least one introduction withinthe study islands was documented during the same span of time; furthermore, temporary occurrences were alsodetected for other 16 species (3 amphibians and 13 reptiles), some of which (Hyla sp., Graptemys pseudogeo‐graphica, Centrochelys sulcata, Pantherophis guttatus and Lampropeltis getula) have not been previously recordedfor these islands. Accidental or intentional introductions have gradually increased in recent decades and have asignificant influence in shaping these herpetofunal assemblages. On the contrary, extinction seems to be less fre‐quent and involved especially amphibians. The updated faunal inventory for 65 islands includes several new recordsand the results of the first herpetological investigations on the islets Faraglione di terra di Cala Fico, Colombaia,Vittoria Garcia (circum‐Sicilian), Pigeon Rock and Cheirolopus Rock (Maltese).

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We studied the food habits of the Italian wall lizard, Podarcis sicula, that was introduced to Long Island, New York in 1966. We recovered 436 prey items from 96 lizards. There was no significant relationship between the percentage of lizards without prey items and date of capture. On average, females had significantly more prey items per lizard, lower overall prey diversity and lower prey evenness, than did males. This suggests important dif- ferences in foraging habits between the sexes. We found remarkably high similarity between prey species diversity for the Long Island and two of four European populations. There was no correlation between prey size and either head width or snout-vent length of the lizards.

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In the present study we use an unprecedented database of 5,535 distributional records to infer the diversity, ecological preferences and spatial distribution of the 60 species of terrestrial reptiles of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and use the 57 native species to test the effectiveness of the protected areas’ network in conserving this unique vertebrate fauna. We infer a time-calibrated phylogeny with 146 species of squamates and 15 genes including all UAE terrestrial reptile species to determine the phylogenetic diversity (PD) and evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) of the native species and to compare it with the distribution of the hotspots of native species richness. The results of this study indicate that the sampling effort is remarkable, covering 75% of the country’s territory representing nearly the entire climatic space of the UAE defined by the mean annual temperature and the total annual precipitation, as well as the multivariate climatic space defined by a principal component analysis (PCA). Species richness is highest in the northeast of the country, in a transitional area from sandy desert to the mountainous terrain of the Hajar Mountains. The highest PD of a single square cell of 10 arc-minutes grid is of 2,430 million years (my) of accumulated evolutionary history and the strong correlation between PD and species richness suggests that the raw number of species is a good surrogate to quantify the evolutionary history (i.e., PD). The species with the highest values of ED are those in families represented by only one species in the UAE. Finally, the assessment of the UAE protected areas shows that, despite their relevance in protecting the terrestrial reptiles, they do not offer adequate protection for some threatened species. Therefore, a reassessment of some of the protected areas or the creation of species specific conservation action plans are recommended in order to ensure the preservation of the unique diversity of UAE terrestrial reptiles.

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Underground hiding places are important shelters for many species. After surveying 427 burrows made by wolf spiders Geolycosa vultuosa in Carei Plain in north-western Romania, in 10 of them we identified individuals of Podarcis tauricus. Lizards use the lycosid burrows as retreat sites, but they seem to be limited to those already abandoned by spiders. Nevertheless, these might represent valuable alternative refuges from harsh environmental conditions or predators.

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Based on genetic and morphological evidence, Senczuk et al. (2019) formally raised the Podarcis populations from the Western Pontine Islands, previously classified as several subspecies of P. siculus, to species rank, i.e. Podarcis latastei (Bedriaga, 1879). This taxonomic change was not accepted in the checklist of the European herpetofauna by Speybroeck et al. (2020), recently published on Amphibia-Reptilia. In this note we respond to the reasons given by Speybroeck and colleagues and support the validity of Podarcis latastei as an endemic Italian species.

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The persistence of colour polymorphism (CP) within a given population is generally associated with the coexistence of alternative reproductive strategies, each one involving specific trade-offs among behavioural, morphological, physiological, and other life histories. Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), is a medium-sized diurnal lizard, showing CP in three main colours (yellow, white, and red) on throat and belly, and a morph-specific pattern for both immunocompetence and seasonal variation of T levels. Yellow males show low stamina with high plasma T levels at the beginning of the season, while white males show high stamina with a higher plasma T levels at the end of the season. We hypothesised the presence of two strategies: a risky one, characterised by high aggressiveness played by yellow-morph, and a conservative one by white morph with low aggressiveness. Thus, we tested the aggressive response to conspecifics of yellow and white morphs using a mirror inserted into their cage, mimicking an intrusion of a stranger in their territories, throughout the breeding season (from April to July, 117 trials). We considered three types of aggressive response, with different levels of aggressiveness: (i) bite against the image reflected in the mirror, (ii) seconds spent by the individuals into the half mirrored cage, and (iii) number of times the lizard entered the half mirrored cage. We also considered the number of tongue flicking as explorative behaviour variable. All lizards were tested after a period of acclimatisation to the captivity conditions. Results demonstrate that yellow males showed a higher aggressive response in the early season and a decrease aggressive response towards the end, whereas white males showed an opposite pattern.

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Identifying areas in which protected and threatened species occur represents the first step in establishing a proper management plan. The aim of the present paper is to present our preliminary observations on the herpetofauna and its habitats from the Northern Go¬mani Mountains together with arguments in favor of urgently designating it an oficial and legal strictly protected area. In the target area we have identified 12 species of amphibians (Salamandra salamandra, Triturus cristatus, Lissotriton vulgaris, Lissotriton montandoni, Mesotriton alpestris, Bombina variegate, Bufo bufo, Bufo viridis, Rana dalmatina, Rana temporaria, Pelophylax ridibundus and Pelophylax kl. esculentus) and 6 species of reptiles (Anguis fragilis, Lacerta agilis, Lacerta viridis, Zootoca vivipara, Natrix natrix and Vipera berus). Since all these species are protected by the national and European legislation, we strongly recommend that the are be urgently protected.

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In western Maramures county we encountered 13 species of amphibians (Salamandra salamandra, Triturus montandoni, Triturus cristatus, Triturus vulgaris, Bombina bombina, Bombina variegata, Pelobates fuscus, Bufo bufo, Bufo viridis Hyla arborea, Rana ridibunda, Rana dalmatina, Rana temporaria), 7 species of reptile (Lacerta agilis, Lacerta viridis, Zootoca vivipara, Anguis fragilis, Elaphe longissima, Coronella austriaca, Natrix, natrix), as well as hybrids between Bombina bombina and Bombina variegata and also populations of Rana esculenta. The hybrids between the 2 species of Bombina are present at the same altitude as in the rest of western Romania in general. In this region are present plain species as well as species prone to higher areas. The Carpathian newt descends to a more reduced altitude then in general in Romania, but comparable to those at which it was noticed in the Oas region.

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The island of Lefkada is a popular and easily accessible tourist destination; nevertheless, there is no comprehensive checklist of its interesting herpetofauna. Indeed, most records are old, scattered in different papers, and lacking precise locality data. In order to summarize the knowledge on the herpetofauna of the island, we critically reviewed literature, we looked for reliable records in the web and we carried out a field survey in May 2019. The herpetofauna of Lefkada amounts to 28 species (six amphibians and 22 reptiles). The occurrence of Testudo graeca on the island is considered unlikely, while an additional species, Testudo marginata, is here reported based on web sources. Among the species recorded on the island, 25 have been recently confirmed, two of them (Rana dalmatina and Anguis graeca) over a century. For three species (Lissotriton graecus, Chelonia mydas, and Podarcis tauricus) the last records date back to over 30 years ago.

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Many wild animals are exposed to road kills in the world. Amphibians and reptiles which live near the roads are the most endangered groups among vertebrates related to the road kills. However, there are only few studies about the road kills of amphibians and reptiles in Turkey. We recorded 23 individuals (6 amphibian individuals belonging to 2 species and 17 reptile individuals belonging to 9 species) exposed to road kills on the E87 highway on June 18-22, 2016 in Kırklareli province while we found 134 individuals (114 amphibian individuals belonging to 3 species and 20 reptile individuals belonging to 8 species) killed on the Enez-Ipsala highway on June 22-25, 2016 in Edirne province. The individuals killed more often belonged to Pelophylax ridibundus and Bufotes variabilis in the Edirne while the species more affected by road kills were Pelophylax ridibundus, Lacerta trilineata, Dolichophis caspius and Testudo graeca in Kırklareli. The results of this short-term study show that there is a need for long-term studies to show that amphibians and reptiles exposed to road kills are very common.

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It is a fact that the amphibians and reptiles respond to unfavourable weather conditions by searching an underground refuge to survive during winter. The current literature has shown that some species of reptilians and amphibians may become active before their known end of hibernation periods, especially in lowland areas. In the present study, it has been detected that the changing weather conditions in a highland area in Gümüshane, Turkey can cause similar effects on Lacerta media, Bufo bufo and Rana macrocnemis that share the same habitats. One of the reasons of the early activities of some reptilian and amphibian species before their known end of hibernation periods may be the high sensitivity of these species to the changing temperature conditions. Effects of global warming on reptilians and amphibians obvious, and some members of these animals can even be active during winter. This conclusion brings into mind that L. media, B. bufo and R. macrocnemis can continue to be active at highland areas as long as air temperature values allow them.

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Relatively little is known about the ecology of lizards in Iran. This paper serves as a brief introduction to five representative biotopes and their associated lizard species living syntopically, based largely on my own observations. The selected localities are found in 1) Masjed Soleyman, foothills of the Zagros Mountains, Khuzestan; 2) Kupal dunes, on the Mesopotamian Plain, Khuzestan; 3) Shah ‘Abbas Caravanserai, Dasht-e Kavir, on the Central Plateau; 4) an abandoned village in Sistan, ruined buildings and loose loess substrate; 5) Hyrcanian Forest, northern slopes of lower Alborz Mountains and the Gorgan region. The biotopes are characterized briefly and the concept of syntopy is discussed.

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The National University of Mongolia, the Mongolian State University of Education, the University of Nebraska, and the University of Kansas conducted four collaborative expeditions between 2010 and 2014, resulting in accounts for all species of lacertid and agamid, except Phrynocephalus kulagini. These expeditions resulted in a range extension for Eremias arguta and the collection of specimens and tissues across 134 unique localities. In this paper we summarize the species of the Agamidae (Paralaudakia stoliczkana, Ph. hispidus, Ph. helioscopus, and Ph. versicolor) and Lacertidae (E. argus, E. arguta, E. dzungarica, E. multiocellata, E. przewalskii, and E. vermiculata) that were collected during these four expeditions. Further, we provide a summary of all species within these two families in Mongolia. Finally, we discuss issues of Wallacean and Linnaean shortfalls for the herpetofauna of the Mongolian Gobi Desert, and provide future directions for studies of community assemblages and population genetics of reptile species in the region.

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Home ranges in animals can be estimated by different methods like minimum convexpolygons, characteristic hulls or kernels while correlative ecological niche models(ENMs) are commonly employed for forecasting species’ranges. However, ENMscan also model the distribution of individuals if environmental very high spatial reso-lution data are available. Indeed, remote sensing (RS) can provide images with pixelsizes of few centimetres. Here, we modelled the distribution of individual lizards(Podarcis bocagei) combining aerial-like photographs recorded with a compact cam-era and a matrix of temperature/humidity data-loggers to obtain several environmen-tal layers with very high spatial resolution. We recorded lizards’positions in a20920 m mesocosm with a high precision GPS device (~10 cm of error), multipletimes per day throughout the whole period of daily activity. We built an orthophotomap (pixels of 20 cm2) from camera pictures, a digital surface model, and a land-cover supervised classification map. We recreated climate-like variables by combin-ing data-logger data. For each individual, we calculated the distance to males andfemales, excluding the focal lizard. We computed individual realized niche modelswith Bioclim, GAM, GLM, Maxent and random forest. Models attained a very highevaluation score in most cases. The most contributing variables were related tomicroclimate (isothermality, minimum temperature and humidity) and distance toconspecifics. Our very high spatial resolution models provided robust information onhow space is used by each lizard. Correlative models can identify the most suitableareas inside the home range, similar to core areas estimated from kernel algorithms,but allowed better statistical inference. Overall, RS tools generated high-quality envi-ronmental data, and when combined with ENMs, improved the robustness of the pre-dictions on spatial patterns of small terrestrial animals.

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Aim Invasive species are one of the main causes of biodiversity loss world-wide. As introduced populations increasein abundance and geographical range, so does the potential for negative impacts on native communities. As such, there is aneed to better understand the processes driving range expansion as species become established in recipient landscapes. Weinvestigated the potential for population growth and range expansion of introduced populations of a non-native lizard (Podarcismuralis), considering multi-scale factors influencing growth and spatial spread. Location England, UK Methods We collatedrecords ofP. muralispresence through field surveys and a citizen science campaign. We used presence-only models to predictclimate suitability at a national scale (5km resolution), and fine-scale habitat suitability at the local scale (2m resolution). Wethen integrated local models into an individual-based modelling platform to simulate population dynamics and forecast rangeexpansion for 10 populations in heterogeneous landscapes. Results National-scale models indicated climate suitability restrictedto the southern parts of the UK, limited by a latitudinal cline in overwintering conditions. Patterns of population growthand range expansion were related to differences in local landscape configuration and heterogeneity. Growth curves suggestpopulations could be in the early stages of exponential growth. However, annual rates of range expansion are predicted to below (5-16 m). Conclusions We conclude that extensive nationwide range expansion through secondary introduction is likely to berestricted by currently unsuitable climate beyond southern regions of the UK. However, exponential growth of local populationsin habitats providing transport pathways is likely to increase opportunities for regional expansion. The broad habitat niche of P. muralis, coupled with configuration of habitat patches in the landscape, allows populations to increase locally with minimal dispersal.

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In the studied area we encountered 14 species of amphibians (Salamandra salamandra, Triturus vulgaris, Triturus cristatus, Triturus dobrogicus, Bombina bombina, Bombina variegata, Pelobates fuscus, Hyla arborea, Bufo bufo, Bufo viridis, Rana ridibunda, Rana lessonae, Rana dalmatina, Rana arvalis) and 9 species of reptiles (Emys orbicularis, Lacerta agilis, Lacerta viridis, Zootoca vivipara, Anguis fragilis, Natrix natrix, Coronella austriaca, Elaphe longissima and Vipera berus). Hybrids between Triturus cristatus and Triturus dobrogicus, Bombina bombina and Bombina variegata and Rana kl. esculenta are also present in this region. The herpetofauna of this reservation from the inferior course of the Tur River stands out through the glacier relicts that live here, in the woody swamps from the plains (R. arvalis, Z. vivipara and V. berus). Population of Salamandra salamandra and Bombina variegata can be found here at altitudes of no more than 140 m. In this reservation, all the three forms of the Rana green complex that live in Romania are present. The most important sectors of the reservation, from what the herpetofauna is concerned, are the afforested areas. These shelter most of the species and the biggest population of the protected species. The results of our study show the necessity to include into the reservation the forests from Livada.

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The leukocyte profile has the potential to be a reliable method to measure health conditions and stress in wild animals, but limitations occur because current knowledge on reference intervals is largely incomplete, especially because data come from studies on captive animals involving few individuals from single populations. Here we propose a general framework for achieving reliable leukocyte reference intervals, encompassing a set of internal and external factors, potentially affecting the leukogram. To do so, we present a systematic survey of the hematology of the common wall lizard, Podarcis muralis, involving 794 lizards from 54 populations over the whole geographic range of the species in Italy. Reference intervals for white blood cell (WBC) and leukocyte differential count were obtained by using linear mixed models in a Bayesian framework. The application of the procedure clearly showed that both internal (sex and size) and external (latitude and season) factors are a source of variation of leukocyte profile. Furthermore, the leukogram of common wall lizard has a strong variability among populations, which accounts for more than 50% of the whole variation. Consequently, some common assumptions used in studies on captive individuals are no longer supported in wild populations, namely, i) any group of individuals is a representative sample, ii) any population is representative of all others, iii) geographic clines do not occur over the species range, and iv) seasonal variation has limited effects. We encourage researchers aimed at the definition of leukocyte reference intervals for wild populations of reptiles to involve a large number of populations over a wide geographic range in ad hoc statistical models to disentangle local and geographic effects on leukocyte profile variation.

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In the researched area we identified 14 amphibian species: (Salamandra salamndra, Triturus vulgaris, Triturus cristatus, Triturus alpestris, Triturus montandoni, Bombina bombina, Bombina variegata, Bufo bufo, Bufo viridis, Pelobates fuscus, Hyla arborea, Rana ridibunda, Rana dalmatina, Rana temporaria) and 8 reptilian species (Lacerta agilis, Lacerta viridis, Zootoca vivipara, Anguis fragilis, Natrix natrix, Elaphe longissima, Coronella austriaca, Vipera berus). Within the region we identified species quoted (Cog_lniceanu et al 2000) to have the lowest altitudinal limit of their spreading area at much higher altitudes. The species Triturus montandoni was identified at 320 m altitude at Agârcia and Doamna. Most of the amphibian and reptilian species are not endangered in the researched area.