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Tall Sufan, a 1.5-hectare hill in an area with a number of archaeological sites, is located 1.5 km west of the city of Nablus. This site contains remains from Bronze (3600–1200 BC) and Iron Age II (918–539 BC), Roman (63 BC–324 AD), Byzantine (325–638 AD/16H) and Islamic periods (638/16 Hijra–1918). From the Ottoman-Turkish period until modern times it was in agricultural use. However, in recent decades, human activities have destroyed sections of Tall Sufan. The surviving features include a fortification system, a pond, an aqueduct, a watermill and several dry-stone terrace walls, cylindrical weigh oil press, silos, and burial caves. This article describes these structural elements and compares them to similar sites in Palestine. In addition, it provides information on coins recovered during the 2016–2017 campaigns.

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In this study, 29 reptile and amphibian species were recorded in 25 diff erent localities in the Sultan Mountains. Of these, 5 were anurans, 1 was a tortoise, 1 was a turtle, 11 were lizards, and 11 were snakes. A chorotype classifi cation of the species recorded in the Sultan Mountains is also given.

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The Northwest of Iran, covering the three provinces of Ardabil, East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan, is a special area that, due to its particular geographical and climatic conditions has a rich biodiversity. The present study was conducted with the aim of studying the habitat, substrate type, feeding, conservation and distribution of lizards in this area from 2003 to now. Our results have revealed that there are 20 lizard species belonging to 13 genera and 5 families in this area. Lacertid lizards have the highest species diversity with 12 species. We also found that high ranges of habitats with a different substrate types are inhabited by lizard species. The number of species in pine regions compared with other types of area is considerably greater. The conservation status of lizards is unknown and requires further study.

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Northwestern Iran has unique geographical and climatic conditions that support a rich flora and fauna. In view of the lack of in-depth studies on the lizards of the region, an investigation was started in the northern part of Ardabil Province for an inventory of this component of the fauna and their habitats. Collections were made from October 2003 to June 2005 and 165 specimens were collected and identified. Five families, 12 genera and 15 species are represented, including Agamidae: Laudakia caucasia, Phrynocephalus persicus, Trapelus ruderatus; Lacertidae: Lacerta media media, Lacerta strigata, Lacerta brandtii, Darevskia raddei raddei, Eremias strauchi strauchi, Eremias arguta, Ophisops elegans; Scincidae: Mabuya aurata transcaucasica, Eumeces schneiderii princeps, Abelepharus bivittatus; Anguidae: Pseudopus apodus and Gekkonidae: Cyrtopodion caspium caspium. Comparing this list to the data provided by Anderson (1999), it seems that most of the lizards are being reported for the Province for the first time. The families Gekkonidae and Anguidae are newly recorded, and the gecko Cyrtopodion caspium is first recorded from the west and northwest of Iran. With seven species represented in the area, lacertids have the highest species diversity among the lizard families and need further study. Habitat features also have been given for all species.

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The feeding biology of Ophisops elegans inhabiting Bursa was investigated. Stomach contents of 66 adult (28 ðð, 38 ¦¦) specimens collected from 3 localities were investigated by numerical analysis. Most of the foods of the Ophisops elegans specimens were insects (64.58%), the majority of which were of larval form (19.44%). Two specimens that were collected from GŸrsu were maintained in a terrarium to observe their feeding behaviors. During observations, Ophisops elegans exhibited various feeding behaviors depending on the type of prey and sometimes bit and ate pieces of its prey (legs, wings, etc.).

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Anhand ihrer Feld- und Literaturstudien identifizierten die Autoren 36 Amphibien- und Reptilienarten, die nachweislich in der turkischen Provinz Bitlis vorkommen, wobei die Fundorte und die an ihnen angetroffenen Habitattypen angegeben werden. die durch Beobachtung festgestellten Hauptgefahrdungsursachen werden benannt. insgesamt kennt man aus dem Untersuchungsgebiet Vorkommen von vier Froschlurch-, zwei Schwanzlurch- und Schildkrötenarten sowie 15 Echsen- und 13 Schlangenarten. Hyla savignyi Audouin, 1827, Heremites vittatus (Olivier, 1804), Timon kurdistanicus (Suchow, 1936) and Eirenis thospitis Schmidtler & Lanza, 1990, stellen Erstnachweise fur die Provinz Bitlis dar.

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The present work provides a list of all amphibians and reptiles recorded from Iraq up to 2014. It includes 115 species (105 species of reptiles and 10 species of amphibians) dating back to 25 families (20 families of reptiles and 5 families of amphibians). Conservation status of each species was mentioned.

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A total number of 70 herpetofaunistic species organised in 3 orders and 18 families were surveyed during a period of two years (2005– 2007) in southern Jordan. The orders are (1) Ophidia has 7 families: Leptotyphlopidae (1 species), Typhlopidae (2 species), Boidae (1 species), Colubdridae (17 species), Atractaspididae (1 species), Elapidae (1 species) and Viperidae (5 species). (2) Sauria has 7 families: Gekkonidae (12 species), Chamaeleonidae (1 species), Agamidae (8 species), Lacertidae (3 species), Sincidae (8 species), Anguidae (1 species), Varanidae (1 species). (3) Testudines has 4 families: Cheloniidae (2 species), Dermochetylidae (1 species), Emydidae (1 species) and Testudinidae (1 species). The species listed were all resident and were mostly found throughout the year. The diversity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the study area encouraged the occurrence of the species. The results reinforce the necessity of longterm inventory plannings in order to understand the ecology and the dynamics of herpetofaunistic and other wildlife communities in the study area. The over-increasing of human impact on the existing natural resources in the southern Jordan has threatened the ecology diversity of wildlife species, where the populations of some herpetofaunaistic species (especially frog species) and many reptilian species are declining in diversity status and abundance. The author recommend at the end the improving cooperation of different parties to enhance the public awareness and to implement environmental laws and legislation to conserve the sensitive and rare species of herpetofauna components.

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A total of 70 herpetofauna species from 3 Orders and 18 Families were surveyed during a period of two years (2005-2007) in Southern Jordan. The Ophidia included Leptotyphlopidae, Typhlopidae, Boidae, Colubdridae, Atractaspididae, Elapidae and Viperidae. The Sauria included Gekkonidae, Chamaeleonidae, Agamidae, Lacertidae, Sincidae, Anguidae and Varanidae. Testudines included Cheloniidae, Dermochelyidae, Emydidae and Testudinidae. The species listed were all resident and mostly found throughout the year. The diversity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the study area likely encouraged species presence. The results reinforce the necessity for long-term inventory planning in order to understand the ecology and the dynamics of herpetofauna and other wildlife communities in the study area. The increasing human impact on the existing natural resources in Southern Jordan has threatened the ecology and diversity of wildlife species to such a degree that populations of anurans and many reptiles are declining in diversity, status and abundance. The author recommends improving cooperation of different parties to enhance public awareness and to implement environmental laws and legislation to conserve sensitive and rare species of herpetofauna.

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An extensive review on the taxonomic status, occurrence, geographical distribution, and the IUCN conservation status of 122 species/taxa (10 amphibians and 112 reptiles) belonging to 71 genera (8 genera of amphibians and 63 of reptiles) and to 25 families (5 families of amphibians and 20 families of reptiles) was made. As a part of Iraq’s unique biota, the knowledge of the herpetofauna of Iraq is poorly discovered and requires extensive field surveys, further research, and explorations in order to create full frame knowledge of its status and conservation.

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The life history characteristics of individuals may vary depending on the altitude gradient. In this study, some life history traits such as age structure, age at sexual maturity, lifespan, body size, head length and head width were tested for two different altitude populations of Ophisops elegans. The results suggest that the individuals from the high altitude (Sivas, 1595 m) population have a higher mean body size and longer and wider head structure than the low-altitude (Çanakkale, 7 m) population. Although, the mean age of the highland population was higher than the lowland population, this case was not found statistically significant. In this study, both females and males were estimated to reach sexual maturity at an average of 3 years. The expected positive correlation between age and body size was recorded for only females of the Çanakkale population.

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Microplastics are a global environmental problem, polluting both aquatic and terrestrial environments. Terrestrial lizards are suitable model organisms to study human-induced pollution in these areas, as they can live in urbanized areas where microplastics are most abundant. Therefore, we analyzed the prevalence of microplastics (MPs) in a common Lacertid lizard, the snake-eyed lizard, Ophisops elegans. We detected MPs in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of 33 of 152 specimens from 18 populations. The detected MPs had six distinct polymer compositions, namely Polyethylene terephthalate, Polyacrylonitrile, Polypropylene, Polyethylene, Poly methyl methacrylate and Polyamide. The majority of these MPs were fiber-type and the dominant color was navy blue. The lengths of MPs varied from 37 to 563 µm, with an average length of 175 ?m. MPs were detected in the GITs of 43% of juveniles (n = 7), 30% of males (n = 105), and 18% of females (n = 40), with a mean of 0.27 per specimen. Furthermore, we found that microplastic densities varied with habitat distance from human settlements, supporting the theory that high levels of microplastic contamination are associated with extensiveanthropogenic activity.

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Further localities for two species of amphibians [Hyla savigny, Triturus (O.) vittatus] and fourteen of reptiles [Blanus strauchi, Testudo graeca, Chelonia mydas, Mauremys caspica, Asaccus elisae, Cyrtopodion scaber, Laudakia stellio, Trapelus ruderatus, T. persicus, T pallidus, Eumeces schneideri, Ophisops elegans, Varanus griseus, Coluber (H.) nummifer] collected or observed in Syria are given with some notes. Emphasis on trade in reptiles in Syria revealed that at least five species are threatened due to excessive trade, including the Middle Eastern Spur-thighed Tortoise, Testudo graeca terrestris, the Striped-necked Turtle, Mauremys rivulata, the Mediterranean Chameleon, Chamaeleo chamaeleon, the Dabb, Uromastyx aegyptia, and two snakes; Natrix sp. and Coluber jugularis. KURZFASSUNG Es wird über weitere Fundorte von zwei Arten von Amphibien [Hyla savigny, Triturus (O.) vittatus] und vierzehn von Reptilien [Blanus strauchi, Testudo graeca, Chelonia mydas, Mauremys caspica, Asaccus elisae, Cyrtopodion scaber, Laudakia stellio, Trapelus ruderatus, T. persicus, T. pallidus, Eumeces schneideri, Ophisops elegans, Varanus griseus, Coluber (H.) nummifer] berichtet, die in Syrien gefangen oder beobachtet wurden. Zusätzlich werden Angaben über den Lebensraum am Fundort gemacht. Bei der Befassung mit dem Reptilienhandel in Syrien, stellten sich zumindest fünf Arten als durch uneingeschränkten Handel gefährdet heraus, nämlich die Syrische Landschildkröte Testudo graeca terrestris, die Kaspische Bachschildkröte Mauremys rivulata, das Europäische Chamäleon, Chamaeleo chamaeleon, die Ägyptische Dornschwanzagame Uromastyx aegyptia und zwei Schlangenarten, eine Wassernatter (Natrix sp.) und die Pfeilnatter Coluber jugularis.

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A total of 46 reptilian species belonging to 9 families (Gekkonidae, Agamidae, Chamaeleonidae, Scincidae, Lacertidae, Varanidae, Boidae, Colubridae and Viperidae) are reported from Southern Jordan. Bunopus tuberculatus, Tropiocolotes steudneri and Phrynocephalus arabicus are new records, while Coluber elegantissimus is reported for the second time. A. population of horned Cerastes cerastes was found at Disah area. Remarks on the distribution of these reptiles are included. Acanthodactylus boskianus, Acanthodactylus tristrami, Acanthodactylus grandis, Acanthodactylus opheodurus, Acanthodactylus pardalis, Ophisops elegans, Mesalina guttulata, Lacerta laevis kulzeri.

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TERRA TYPICA. Vicinity of Baku city, Azerbaijan. DISTRIBUTION. The species is widely distributed in the northeast of the Balkan Peninsula, some islands of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, Sinai Peninsula, Asia Minor, Middle East and the Caucasus to Pakistan and north-western India in the east. On the territory of North Eurasia it occurs in the Caucasus in Azerbaijan, Armenia and eastern Georgia, approximately to the city Tbilisi in the west. There are data which require confirmation about the occurrence of an isolated population in the North Caucasus in the submontane Chechnya. Of six known subspecies only O. e .elegans occurs in the Transcaucasia. CONSERVATION STATUS. The status of the populations on the whole distribution range is stable and does not require special protection measures.

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One hundred seventy-seven species of amphibians and reptiles in sixty-fiv genera have been recorded from within the political boundaries of Iran. The actual number of species may prove to be somewhat less when problems of synonymy have been more extensively investigated. Thirty-three species or 19 per cent of the known herpetofauna, are represented in the present collection. The majority of these (21 species) were collected in the western foothills of the Zagros Mountains in southwestern Iran. Relatively few collections have been made in Iran, and many species have been recorded from single localities. Many taxonomic problems must await the collection of further specimens and examination of typical material. Distribution is incompletely known for all species. Many of the early locality records are not precise, and require confirmation. The aridity and prolonged hot season impose severe limitations on the fauna of the foothill region of southwestern Iran. The length of the growing seasonn varies with the duration of the winter and spring rainy season. The vegetation is almost entirely herbaceous in this area, and is extensively grazed by sheep and goats. By late spring the hills are completely denuded, The large numbers of insects, which coincide with the blooming of herbaceous plants in the spring, dwindle through the summer. Grasshoppers and ants form the bulk of the food supply for many species throughout the summer. Various behavioral adaptations enable the amphibians and reptiles to survive the long summer. Foraging activity begins in the early morning hours, diurnal lizards quickly reaching temperatures of normal activity by exposing a maximum surface area to the direct rays of the sun. As ambient temperatures rise, the period of activity is extended by utilization of small areas of shade (particularly the case with lacertids), brief dashes being made into direct sunlight. The agamid lizards may remain in the sun, but position themselves so that the sun´s rays strike a minimum surface area, and at a small angle. Agama agilis ascends low bushes during extremely hot periods, and thus may escape much of the reradiated heat from the hot ground surface. The agamid lizards may benefit from changes in their albedo. They are dark in color when basking, and much lighter during the heat of the day. These color changes may supplement behavioral temperature regulation. The reptiles retreat to shelter during the hottest hours. Deep crevices in limestone outcrops provide shelter for Agama nupta, Mabuya aurata septemtaeniata, and several of the snakes. Agama agilis and Eremias guttulata watsonana seek refuge under small rocks or in rock piles on level ground. The latter species also utilizes small holes and cracks in the hard-packed soil. A few small streams persist throughout the summer, ofter only as intermittent pools. In many dry stream beds, moisture may be found a few inches beneath the surface. A moist, cool, microclimate is also maintained in small caves and ssinkholes in the gypsium formations. These areas provide a summer refuge for the amphibians, and shelter nocturnal reptiles during the day. These cracks and crevices are also utilized by Agama nupta during the hottest hours, and presumably at night. Several species of geckos and snakes are able to exist in the area due to their nocturnal habits, and the fact that temperatures do not drop below their normal activity range at night during the summer. Dune-dwelling species are able to escape the severe midday temperatures by retreating the burrows a few inches below the sand surface. Anal temperatures indicate that the normal activity range for most of the diurnal lizards of southwestern Iran is between 38.0° and 42.0°C. Uromastix loricatus was actively foraging at times when its anal temperature exceeded 43°C. Agama agilis was consistently found in direct sunlicht, the anal temperature above 40°C. Critical maximum temperatures for most diurnal lizards are between 46° and 49°C. Both Uromastix loricatus and Scincus conirostris recovered from temperatures above 50°C. Cowles and Bogert (1944) found that the normal activity range of diurnal lizards of the deserts of the southwestern U.S. was approximately 35°-43°C., and that the lizards preferred temperatures of about 37°C. They found that lizards avoided temperatures above 40°C. Critical maximum temperatures were reported to bte 43°-49°C. As air and surface temperatures increased during the late spring and summer in southwestern Iran, a shift in the periods of reptilian activity was noted. During the moderate spring temperatures, activity was confined to the midday hours. By midsummer, foraging activity was noted only during the earliest daylight hours,a nd again in late afternoon. A detailed zoogeographic analysis of the Iranian herpetofauna must await more extensive locality data, and the analysis of many systematic problems. Nevertheless, it is apparent that the several geographic and ecologic provinces of Iran are characterized by distinct differences in the composition of their faunas. Southwestern Iran and the northwestern highlands have a greater number of species with Mediterranean affinities than do the regions east of the Zagros Mountains. Southeastern Iran shares species with Pakistan and India, while elements of the Central Asia fauna are present in the northeast of the country. Apparently there is a relatively high degree of ebndemism on the central plateau of Iran. A European fauna prevails north of the Elburz Mountains on the south coast of the Caspian Sea. The majority of amphibians and reptiles known Iran are restricted in their distribution to the Middle East. Southwest Asia has apparently existed as a geographic unit long enough to have developed a characteristic herpetofauna, particularly at the species level. Acanthodactylus cantoris blanfordi, Acanthodactylus cantoris schmidti, Eremias guttulata watsonana, Ophisops elegans elegans.

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Acanthodactylus cantoris blanfordi, Acanthodactylus cantoris schmidti, Acanthodactylus fraseri, Acanthodactylus micropholis, Apathya cappadocica urmiana, Eremias arguta, Eremias brevirostris, Eremias fasciata, Eremias grammica, Eremias guttulata, Eremias intermedia, Eremias lineolata, Eremias nigrocellata, Eremias persica, Eremias pleskei, Eremias scripta, Eremias strauchi, Eremias velox velox, Lacerta brandtii, Lacerta chlorogaster, Lacerta princeps princeps, Lacerta princeps kurdistanica, Lacerta saxicola defilippii. Lacerta saxicola raddei, Lacerta strigata, Lacerta trilineata media, Ophisops elegans.

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Acanthodactylus blanfordi, Acanthodactylus boskianus, Acanthodactylus grandis, Acanthodactylus micropholis, Acanthodactylus nilsoni, Acanthodactylus opheodurus, Acanthodactylus schmidti, Eremias acutirostris, Eremias andersoni, Eremias arguta, Eremias fasciata, Eremias grammica, Eremias intermedia, Eremias lalezharica, Eremias lineolata, Eremias nigrocellata, Eremias nigrolateralis, Eremias persica, Eremias pleskei, Eremias scripta, Eremias strauchi strauchi, Eremias strauchi kopetdaghica, Eremias velox velox, Lacerta brandtii, Lacerta cappadocica urmiana, Lacerta chlorogaster, Lacerta defilippii, Lacerta media media, Lacerta mostoufi, Lacerta praticola praticola, Lacerta princeps princeps, Lacerta princeps kurdistanica. Lacerta raddei raddei, Lacerta raddei vanensis, Lacerta steineri, Lacerta strigata, Lacerta valentini valentini, Lacerta zagrosica, Mesalina brevirostris brevirostris, Mesalina brevirostris fieldi, Mesalina watsonana, Ophisops elegans.

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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 basic anatomy of the lacertid hemipenis (intromittent organ) and methods for its investigation are described. In many members of the Lacertidae, the hemipenis has a structure quite unlike that of other squamate reptiles: the distal lobes of the retracted organ are complexly folded and there is a well-defined supporting structure of dense connective tissue, the armature. This incorporates blood sinuses and has an intramuscular portion embedded in the m. retractor penis magnus and two club-shaped bodies, the clavulae, that support the lobes in the erect organ. Unarmatured hemipenes occur in some lacertids and, like those of other squamates, possess sac-like lobes in the retracted state, but they are singular in having the lobes invested by the m. retractor penis magnus. It is argued that many of these apparently primitive hemipenes are in fact secondary derivatives of the armatured type. There is considerable inter-specific variation in hemipenial structure which is described systematically. In some cases this involves differences in size, asymmetry and simplification, which may arise as physical isolating mechanisms and is useful in distinguishing otherwise very similar species, particularly in the genus Mesalina (p. 1253). Other shared derived hemipenial features provide useful information about relationships between species and higher taxa and a summary of the hypotheses that they support is given (p. 1254).

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Twenty-four species of lacertid lizards were examined at 31 sites in western Yogoslavia, Greece and Iberia. Comparative observations were made on over 4500 individual lizards, noting such features as times of activitiy, hunting methods, diet, micro- and macrohabitat, refuges used and body temperature. These data are used as a basis for assessing resource partition in related sympatric species, for find out whether different systematic groups have characteristic types of niche, and for comparing cumminity structures in the peninsulas of southern Europa. Acanthodactylus erythrurus, Algyroides marchi, Algyroides moreoticus, Algyroides nigropunctatus, Lacerta agilis, Lacerta graeca, Lacerta horvathi, Lacerta lepida, Lacerta monticola, Lacerta oxycephala, Lacerta mosorensis, Lacerta schreiberi, Lacerta trilineata, Lacerta viridis, Lacerta vivipara, Podarcis bocagei, Podarcis erhardii, Podarcis hispanica, Podarcis melisellensis, Podarcis milensis, Podarcis muralis, Podarcis peloponnesiaca, Podarcis sicula, Podarcis taurica, Psammodromus algirus, Psammodromus hispanicus.

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Arabia, including the arid lowland regions of Jordan, Syria, Iraq and southwest Iran, has approximately 128 species of terrestrial reptiles and about 7 of amphibians. Endemicity is high, 55% of species being largely or entirely confined to the area. Abrupt faunal discontinuities are present between Arabia and neighbouring regions, namely the Horn of Africa, the Sahara desert and the relatively mesic areas to the north. However, there must have been substantial interchange with these areas in the past. Within Arabia, the main Zoogeographie division is between the arid regions occupying most of the peninsula and much smaller, often more mesic areas of endemicity in the south. The former are mainly occupied by Saharo-Sindian taxa and have rather more affinities with the Sahara than to arid regions east of Arabia. Southern areas of endemicity include: 1. The southwestern coast, with affinities to the Horn of Africa and the inland deserts of Arabia. 2. The southwest and southern highlands which share a number of forms with northeast African relationships but differ significantly, the former having more, often endemic species with African affinities and a number with relatives in the Mediterranean and other northern mesic regions. The drier southern mountains have their own endemics, some of which have representatives in the öiddat al-HaräsIs area to the east. 3. The north Oman mountains also possess distinctive species and populations, some of which are related to forms in the less arid parts of the Iranian area. Finally there are a number of mesic forms distributed around the periphery of Arabia, and populations at oasis sites in the arid region which are probably relicts of forms more widespread in Quaternary pluvial phases.

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Estimates of phylogeny may allow historical events to be reconstructed even without a fossil record. The reliability of such interpretations depends not only on the robustness of the phylogeny but also on its topology. Changes in individual features can be traced and general histories of groups developed and compared with each other. Results are ofter surprising, for Instance the sophisticated tail shedding mechanism of lizards turns out to be a primitive feature that has been lost many times. Similarly, ecological analogues may have developed their common characaters in quite different orders. Phylogenies also provide a way of recognizing constraints and the effects of history on present ecological and behavioural patterns. When using anatomical characters the quality of the apparent phylogenies produced may be related to ecological history: expansion of a group along an ecological continuum into increasingly demanding niches ina small geographical area tends to produce a robust phylogeny (for instance in Meroles), while this is often not so for widely distributed groups that occupy a more modest range of niches (such as Pedioplanis and Podarcis). Non-morphological data may not show this tendency, but can have their own problems. Lacertids can be referred to clade with many successive branches in Africa and the Saharo-Eurasian arid zones and a less resolved probably paraphyletic complex of more primitive forms in the Mediterranean and wider Palaearctic areas. The African-Eurasian clade shows a general trend towards ground-dwelling and increasingly arid habitats but is ecologically variied. These animals are important to the study of Mediterranean forms because they provide eco-morphological parallels to them (for instance to Algyroides, Psammodromus and the archaeolacertas) and help form a basis for testing hypotheses about function. Although it is possible to recognise a number of distinct clades among the Mediterranean and Eurasian forms, relationships within and between these are often much less well substantiated. If results are available in time, current work on mitochondrial DNA sequencing will be discussed.

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Differences in surface structure (ober- hautchen) of body scales of lacertid lizards involve cell size, shape and surface profile, presence or absence of fine pitting, form of cell margins, and the occurrence of longitudinal ridges and pustular projections. Phylogenetic information indicates that the primitive pattern involved narrow strap-shaped cells, with low posteriorly overlapping edges and relatively smooth surfaces. Deviations from this condition produce a more sculptured surface and have developed many times, although subsequent overt reversals are uncommon. Like variations in scale shape, different patterns of dorsal body microornamentation appear to confer different and conflicting performance advantages. The primitive pattern may reduce friction during locomotion and also enhances dirt shedding, especially in ground-dwelling forms from moist habitats. However, this smooth microornamentation generates shine that may compromise cryptic coloration, especially when scales are large. Many derived features show correlation with such large scales and appear to suppress shine. They occur most frequently in forms from dry habitats or forms that climb in vegetation away from the ground, situations where dirt adhesion is less of a problem. Microornamentation differences involving other parts of the body and other squamate groups tend to corroborate this functional interpretation. Microornamentation features can develop on lineages in different orders and appear to act additively in reducing shine. In some cases different combinations may be optimal solutions in particular environments, but lineage effects, such as limited reversibility and different developmental proclivities, may also be important in their genesis. The fine pits often found on cell surfaces are unconnected with shine reduction, as they are smaller than the wavelengths of most visible light.

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In this study, we conducted an inventory of amphibians and reptiles between 2013 and 2016 in the Gediz Delta (İzmir, Turkey). The field results were combined with existing records. According to the data obtained, a total of 35 herptile species live in the region, comprising 7 amphibians (2 urodeles, 5 anurans) and 28 reptiles (6 chelonians, 10 lizards and 12 snakes). Five species (Lissotriton vulgaris, Triturus ivanbureschi, Heremites auratus, Platyceps collaris and Telecopus fallax) were recorded for the first time in the Gediz Delta during the study. A chorotype classification and potential threats of the species are also presented.

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Based on several recent herpetological surveys, as well as data from the literature and the collection of the Natural History Museum in Vienna, the knowledge about the herpetofauna of Rhodes is summarized and a new species list is prepared. The following species have regularly been encountered: Bufo viridis, Hyla arborea, Pelophylax cerigensis, Mauremys rivulata, Hemidactylus turcicus, Laudakia stellio, Ophisops elegans, Lacerta trilineata, Anatolacerta oertzeni, Ablepharus kitaibelii, Chalcides ocellatus, Trachylepis aurata, Blanus strauchi, Typhlops vermicularis, Dolichophis sp., Platyceps najadum, Hemorrhois nummifer, Zamenis situla, Natrix natrix and Telescopus fallax. The taxonomic status of the occurring whip snakes is discussed. Mediodactylus kotschyi has been added to the island fauna because of some records in the South part of the island. The occurrence of Testudo graeca, Pseudopus apodus and Natrix tessellata was put into question because their mention in older literature remained unconfirmed. Recent single records of Chamaeleo chamaeleon, Malpolon monspessulanus, Testudo graeca and Testudo hermanni are listed and their status is discussed. Die Herpetofauna von Rhodos wird aufgrund von Literaturdaten, Sammlungsmaterial des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien sowie Ergebnissen diverser herpetologischer Exkursionen aufgelistet. Verbreitungskarten aller nachgewiesenen Arten sowie eine aktuelle herpetologische Faunenliste werden erstellt. Folgende Arten wurden regelmäßig und wiederholt festgestellt: Bufo viridis, Hyla arborea, Pelophylax cerigensis, Mauremys rivulata, Hemidactylus turcicus, Laudakia stellio, Ophisops elegans, Lacerta trilineata, Anatolacerta oertzeni, Ablepharus kitaibelii, Chalcides ocellatus, Trachylepis aurata, Blanus strauchi, Typhlops vermicularis, Dolichophis sp., Platyceps najadum, Hemorrhois nummifer, Zamenis situla, Natrix natrix, Telescopus fallax. Der taxonomische Status der Springnatter wird diskutiert. Aufgrund mehrerer aktueller Funde wird Mediodactylus kotschyi ergänzend zur Herpetofauna von Rhodos hinzugefügt und das Auftreten folgender Arten, deren Vorkommen in der Literatur regelmäßig für Rhodos angegeben wurde, in Frage gestellt: Testudo graeca, Pseudopus apodus, Natrixm tessellata. Aktuelle Einzelfunde gelangen von Chamaeleo chamaeleon, Malpolon monspessulanus, Testudo graeca und Testudo hermanni, deren Status diskutiert wird.

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In dieser Arbeit wurde aus 71 Inseln, die zwischen Izmir und Bodrum liegen, erstmals gesammelten herpetologisches Material (909 Examplare) taxonomisch untersucht. Darin sind vorläufig insgesamt 16 Arten oder Unterarten festgestellt worden, von denen 1 Frosch-, 1 Schildkröte-, 7 Eidechsen-, und 7 Schlangenarten sind. Wie alle Inselformen zeigen sie keine bemerkenswerten Unterschiede von den in Anatolien lebenden Arten. Ausserdem haben wir von einigen Inseln ungeflecktes Ophisops elegans Material und von anderen einigen gefleckte Eirenis modestus Exemplare gesammelt. Man braucht nochmals ausführliche Arbeiten oder man soll serologische Methoden benutzen, um den taxonomischen Status von beiden Formen zuklären. Für die Unterartgliederung von Cyrtodactylus kotschyi soll man aus dem noch südlichen türkischen Inseln neue und genügendes Material sammeln.

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The number of herpetological studies about specific regions of Turkey are very limited compared to general herpetological studies. In an attempt to help fill this gap, a total of 89 specimens representing 11 reptile species were collected, for the first time, from two different localities in the vicinity of Silifke, and they were evaluated from the taxonomical point of view.

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Following examination of the amphibia, reptila and mammalia species which are distributed in the Special Protected Area around Köycegiz-Dalyan, the area`s natural resources were investigated. Establishment of the distribution of these species and their population cases has also been attempted by systemical and periodic investigaitons As a result, 5 frogs. 5 turtles, 11 lizards, 13 snakes and 18 mammal species have been discovered for the first time in this region. Furthermore, measures which must be taken into consideration for protection of these species, especially turtles, are given.

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Die Autotren berichten über zwei Aufsammlungen von Amphibien und Reptilien aus dem Gebiet der ostanatolischen Städte Erzurum, Iğdir, Kars und Ardahan. Das Material umfaßt drei Anurentaxa, eine Schildkrötenform, 11 Eidechsen- und 11 Schlangenarten in 172 Exemplaren. Aufgelistete Arten: Bufo viridis, Rana ridibunda complex, Rana camerani, Testudo graeca armeniaca, Phrynocephalus persicus, Eremias pleskei, Eremias strauchi, Lacerta agilis brevicaudata, Parvilacerta parva, Darevskia parvula, Darevskia raddei, Darevskia valentini valentini, Darevskia uzzelli, Lacerta trilineata, Ophisops elegans, Typhlops vermicularis, Eryx jaculus turcicus, Haemorrhois ravergieri, Hierophis schmidti, Platyceps najadum, eirenis modestus, Eirenis punctatolineatus, Coronella austriaca, natrix natrix persa, Natrix tessellata, Vipera wagneri.

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A complete catalogue is provided for the type specimens of lacertid lizards in the herpetological collection of the Zoological Museum, Berlin, as of December, 1993. The collection contains a total of 514 type specimens, representing 63 taxa, of which 42 are currently regarded as valid at the specific or subspecific level. Types representing an additional four taxa appear to have been lost from the collection. The collections are especially rich in African lacertid types and in historically significant specimens collected early in the Nineteenth Century by Pallas, Eversmann, and Hemprich & Ehrenberg. Also present are the type series of many subspecies of Podarcis lilfordi and P. pityusensis described by Eisentraut.

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Between 1976 and 1980, 345 reptiles and amphibians were collected by members of the Austrian UN-peace-force. These animals are listed and their localities cited. Two lizards and one snake (Ophisops elegans MÉNÉTIER, Agama ruderata OLIVIER, Telescopus fallax FLEISCHMANN) are discussed, their systematic status being uncertain.

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1. The diploid number of chromosomes in Ophisops elegans is 38-36 macro-and 2 micro-chromosomes in the males and 35 macro- and 3 micro-chromosomes in the females. 3. The sex determining mechanism is of the ZZ: ZW type. The Z-chromosomes are represented by the smallest pair of macro-chromosomes and the W-chromosome consists of the micro-chromosome which is even smaller than the pair of micro-chromosomes (pair 19).

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The final part of a series of papers on the lizards of the Caucasus, that have been published in previous years. The paper reports on the life habits, capture and keeping in terraria of several lizards of Soviet Transcaucasia. In these respects the agamid Phrynocephalus helioscopus persi- cus and three species of the lacertid genus Eremias occuring in that area (i. e. strauchi, velox, pleskei) are discussed. Finally a !ist of all lizard species and subspecies actually known to occur in this region is given.

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General remarks on Georgia as nature area and on ist herpetofauna, with discussion about ist population density. Short presentation and hints on distribution and habitats of Eremias arguta transcaucasica, E. velox caucasica, Ophisops elegans elegans, Lacerta agilis brevicaudata, L. agilis ioriensis, L. agilis grusinica, L. media media and L. strigata.

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Bericht über die Entdeckungsgeschichte der Eidechsen des Lacerta kulzeri-Komplexes, speziell jener des Djebel Druz in Syrien. Der Lebensraum der Dj. Druz-Eidechsewn sowie einige Freilandbeobachtungen werden mitgeteilt. Bemerkenswert ist, dass die Eidechsen offensichtlich von sich aus das Wasser aufsuchen. Die übrige Herpetofauna des Dj. Druz wird aufgelistet und teilweise kurz kommentiert.

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During two excursions to Syria (March/April and May 1994) 9 species of lacertid lizards were found (Acanthodactylus grandis, A. orientalis, A. tristrami, Lacerta media wolterstorffi L. cappadocica wolteri, L. l. laevis, L. (cf.) kulzeri, Mesalina brevirostris and Ophisops elegans ssp.). Three of them (A. tristrami, L. cappadocica wolteri and L. (cf.) kulzeri) are reported for the first time for this country. Concerning L. cappadocica, L. laevis, L. (cf.) kulzeri and O. elegans systematical questions are discussed. Ecological data are presented. Further amphibians and reptiles found during the excursions are listed, Coluber najadum is reported for the first time for Syria.

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The current book provides a synthesis of the information concern- ing field identification of all the species and subspecies of Amphibia and Reptilia hitherto registered in Bulgaria. It comprises 61 species and 23 subspecies, among which 5 species (Pelophylax lessonae, P. kurtmuelleri, Hemidactylus turcicus, Eremias arguta, Montivipera xanthina) that have not been found yet on the territory of the country, but which are known from sites in proximity to Bulgar- ian frontiers. The frogs and toads are represented with 14 spe- cies, newts and salamanders with 6 species, turtles and tortoises with 7 species (Trachemys scripta introduced; Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas considered extinct), and snakes with 19 species (Vipera aspis and V. ursinii considered extinct). The structure of each species’ description includes the following headings: Name, Diagnosis, General Distribution, Distribution in Bulgaria, Habitats, and Biology. Besides in Bulgarian and Latin, all species are sup- plemented with their English, French, German and Russian names. All synonyms in the main herpetological literature are listed after the currently accepted Latin name. Original keys for identification of the families, genera and species, based entirely on morphologi- cal characters of adult specimens, as well as on the structure of amphibians’ eggs and larvae, are elaborated to facilitate the users. A photo gallery, comprising original colour photos shot in nature, and numerous line drawings of different key characters are made for better distinction between the species. For purely conservation- al reasons, the distribution maps not only indicate the scientifically confirmed species distribution in the country, but also show the areas with suitable habitats where a given species is likely to oc- cur. The degree of suitability is indicated with a different degree of shading: optimal (black); suboptimal (80% gray); suitable (60% gray); less suitable (20% gray); white means unsuitable. The guide is also introducing the readers to some general aspects of the tax- onomy, systematics, morphology, biology and ecology of herpeto- fauna. Special chapters are devoted to the methods of observation and capture of amphibians and reptiles, first aid after a snake’s bite, and the relationship between herpetofauna – humans. The status of each species according to main biodiversity conservation acts and conventions is given in Table 1. Being the first publication of its kind, the book is intended for professional herpetologists, students or nature lovers.

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In the herpetological collection of ZFMK 528 scientific species group names are represented by type materi- al. Of these, 304 names are documented by primary type specimens (onomatophores) while for 224 further names sec- ondary type specimens (typoids) are available, ranging chronologically from 1801 to 2010. The list is a shortened pred- ecessor of a comprehensive type catalogue in progress. It lists name bearing types with their catalogue numbers includ- ing information on further type series members also in other institutions, while secondary types are listed only by pres- ence, both in ZFMK and other collections including holotype repositories. Geographic origin and currently valid names are also provided.

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REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS ON SAMOS During a two week holiday on Samos, the follo- wing species were observed: Rona ridibunda, Agamastellio, Ophisaurusapodus, Ophisopsele- gans, Lacerta trilineata cariensis, Mabuya aura- to, L. anatolicaaegaea, Natrixnatrixpersa, Colu- ber caspius, C. najadum, Eirenis modestus, Eryx jaculus, Mauremyscaspica. Some of these species were not known to occur on the island. For each of the species some notes are given (if possible) about environment, status and behaviour.

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In April 1995, during unseasonably cold, wet weather. tive specimens of Lacerta lmmdtii were caught in Iran: one 35 km east of Tabriz next to the small lake at Guritshul (1900 m), and four near Bazoft in Kuh Rang (2500 m). 150 km west of Esfahan. The latter is only the second report for this mountain range since the Street Expedition of 1968 collected seven specimens. No differences in pholidosis were found between the four male Kuh Rang lizards and the published data for the populations in north-western Iran. It appears that yellow is less prominent in the coloration of the L. lmmdtii of Kuh Rang. The annual change in coloration is described. Around three weeks after ending hibernation the male`s dorsal and lateral regions of the frontal part of the body change from dull brown into bright green, the posterior half into a fair hazel. Throats can still be yellow at this stage but will frequently change into blue, the colour often also sprea- ding to the labials. From faintly yellow the belly will turn brightly (greenish) yellow. the region around the cloaca, the underside of the tail and the undersides of the hind legs change into orange. Unlike some literature suggests, this colour is not found in the pelvic region of the supposedly related species Lfraasii and L parva. Around July the dorsal and lateral co- lours darken, the green disappears, and the ventral colours pale. Even before hibernation starts some throats may already acquire a blue tinge. The animals lived on the ground, moving be- tween the scarce vegetation and some larger boulders. When collected, they had apparently recently ended their hibernation, these were just males which had not shed their skin, they were dull looking due to the dried clay. Faecal pellets of animals from both localities mainly contained many small-sized Coleoptera. At both localities the soil consisted of clay with sunken pieces of limestone. Ophisops cf. ele- gans and Bufo viridis were found to be sympa- tric. A list with chance finds of other reptiles and amphibians is also provided.

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The physical geography of Iraq is summarised. Using data from the relevant literature and current information from the Internet, a very provisional checklist of Iraqi amphibians and reptiles is presented. Ten amphibian species are reported for Iraq, and exactly 100 reptile species.

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Many regions of the former USSR still re- ceive little attention from Western visitors, herpetologists not excluded. For the Cau- casus Mountains this is all the more sur- prising since the area forms a zone where northern and Middle Eastern flora and fauna meet, and which is thus of considera- bly zoogeographical interest. Presently we find three larger states in the Caucasus: Georgia, Azerbaijan and Arme- nia. Turkey borders to the southwest, Iran to the southeast, and in the north it is the Russian federation. Various smaller parts claim independence. The Black Sea forms the natural western boundary, the Caspian Sea the eastern one. Herpetologically the Caucasus is historically well-known because of the work of Darev- sky and collaborators on the rock lizards (at the time still in the large genus Lacerta, now in Darevskia) and the discovery of the first case of parthenogenesis in vertebrates (DAREVSKY, 1967; DAREVSKII, 1978; DAREVSKY & KULIKOVA, 1961). Below we will concentrate on the results of our field trip to Georgia during the last two weeks of June 2003. Predictably, because of our common interest in the group, the lacertids will receive the most attention.

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The interspecific relationships among female size, clutch size, egg size, and hatchling size were examined for 64 European lacertids. The eggs of all species increased linearly in both linear dimensions and mass during incubation. Across species initial egg mass was positively correlated with juvenile mass, with an allometric relationship exponent of 0.87. Initial egg mass across species increased proportionally with female mass to the power of 0.57. Moreover, an increase in maternal mass was also accompanied by an increase in clutch size. The number of eggs per clutch across species scaled with female mass to the power of 0.39. Removing the effect of female mass resulted in a negative correlation between egg mass and clutch size. Species for which the average egg size was lower than expected on the basis of female mass, tended to have larger relative clutch size. The total egg mass per clutch was about one third of female mass (exponent 0.94).

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Ophisops elegans Menetries, 1832 includes six subspecies in Turkey. Here, we investigated the systematic status and distribution range of the subspecies of O. elegans in Anatolia concerning molecular and morphological approaches. Two mitochondrial (cytb and 16S rRNA) gene regions were used for the phylogenetic analyses. The phylogenetic trees were constructed with the Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood approaches. For morphological evaluations, ANOVA, Discriminant Function Analyses, and Mann Whitney-U Test were performed via SPSS. The O. elegans complex was split into six main clades. Clade A corresponded to nominate subspecies O. e. elegans. Clade B included African and Levant Ophisops samples. Clade C (O. e. ehrenbergii) was separated into two subclades, and the subspecies distribution was much broader than suggested in the literature. Clade D was defined as O. e. centralanatoliae. The distribution of O. e. centralanatoliae was also much broader than reported in the literature. Clade E can be named as O. e. basoglui, and its range was found to be narrower than mentioned in the literature. Clade F refers to the O. e. macrodactylus, and phylogenetic analyses did not recover O. e. budakibarani as a separate clade. Therefore, O. e. budakibarani was assigned as a junior synonym of O. e. macrodactylus.

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Oriental Sweetgum (Liquidambar orientalis) is a threatened tree species restricted to Rhodes Island (Greece) and southern Anatolia (Turkey), best known for its rare riparian forests. These small patches of forests are severely fragmented and scattered, and are rarely found in southwestern Turkey. Based on field sampling and data compilation, we performed an assessment of the herpetofauna in these forests in southwestern Turkey during the spring of 2019 and 2021. Sampling was carried out using a line-transect method in 13 forests with various habitats, resulting in data at the community and population levels. Sixteen families, including 26 amphibian and reptile species (four anurans, four turtles, nine lizards, and nine snakes), were recorded from these unique forests, based on 1440 individuals. Twenty-two species were recorded for the first time from these forests; in addition, Emys orbicularis and Elaphe sauromates were recorded for the first time from the region. Richness in the forest patches, habitat use by the recorded species, and interspecific interactions are discussed to explain the conspicuous patterns observed in the species distributions. The unique distribution pattern of Phoenicolacerta laevis among the existing forest patches represents the most prominent finding, with implications for a recent introduction. The fossorial species Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Blanus strauchi, and Eryx jaculus are unlikely to occur in the Oriental Sweetgum forest due to annual flooding. The data obtained during this study will be transferred to the Oriental Sweetgum forest conservation action plan (2019–2024) as part of the biodiversity monitoring tools for use in the long-term conservation of these forests.

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This study was aimed to determine the amphibian and reptilian species of Sanliurfa Kizilkuyu Wildlife Conservation and Development Area. For this study, Adiyaman University Zoology Museum (ZMADYU) samples as well as the results of the field survey that was carried out between 2016 November-2018 May, were evaluated. As a result of the relevant literature and field studies; 1 chelonian species (Testudo graeca), 3 anuran amphibians species (Bufotes variabilis, Pelophylax ridibundus and Hyla savignyi), 11 lizards (Stellagama stellio, Mediodactylus heterocercus, Eublepharis angramainyu, Heremites auratus, H. vittatus, Chalcides ocellatus, Eumeces schneideri, Ophisops elegans, Apathya cappadocica, Trapelus lessonae and Varanus griseus) and 11 snake species (Malpolon insignitus, Platyceps najadum, Eirenis eiselti, E. occidentalis, Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Myriopholis macrorhyncha, Letheobia episcopus, Eryx jaculus, Macrovipera lebetina and Walterinnesia morgani) totally 26 herptil species were determined in the study area. L. episcopus is an endemic species to Sanliurfa among these species. The E. angramainyu is known only from Sanliurfa in Turkey. According to IUCN data; 1 species is in Critical (VU), 10 species are in least concern (LC), 3 species are data deficient (DD) and 12 species are in not evaluated (NE) state. According to the BERN Conservation 5 species are in appendix II and 21 species are in appendix III. Also, according to the CITES Conservation 3 species are in appendix II and 23 species are not included in the appendix lists. 48 amphibian and reptilian species have been determined in Sanliurfa until now. As a result of the present study, it was determined that Sanliurfa Kizilkuyu Wildlife Conservation and Development Area, consist os 54.17’% of the herpetofauna of Sanliurfa province.

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The herpetofauna of Lesbos comprises the following species: Hyla a. arborea, Rana r. ridibunda, Testudo graeca ibera, Mauremys caspica rivulata, Agama st. stellio, Cyrto- dactylus kotscbyi (subspecies unknown), Opbisaurus apodus, Lacerta t. trilineata, Ophis- ops elegans ehrenbergii,Typhlops vermicularis, Natrix natrix persa, and Eirenis m. mode- stus. The following species were recorded for the first time from the island: Bufo bufo spinosus? (till now listed from Samos), Emys orbicularis (new for islands in Asia Minor), Testudo graeca ibera (hitherto Samos), Hemidactylus t. turcicus (hitherto Ikaria), and Elaphe situla (hitherto Chios and Samos). The most widespread and rather abundant species on the island is Ophisops elegans. Testudo graeca is not at all rare in the mountainous parts. In the wetlands Rana ridi- bunda and Mauremys caspica (surprisingly tall specimens of the latter) are often found.

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Folgende Neunachweise von Reptilien auf den beiden Dodekanes-Inseln Leros und Kalymnos wurden erbracht: Testudo graeca ibera (Kalymnos), Malpolon monspessulanus (Kalymnos). Am Beispiel von Bufo viridis wird klar, wie stark seine reliktären Insel-Vorkommen durch die Gefahrdung der letzten Feuchtgebiete bedroht sind.

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Den bisher von der Insel Ikaria bekannten zwei Amphibien- und 10 Reptilienarten wird eine weitere Reptilienart (Ophisaurus apodus) hinzugefügt. Die im Vergleich zur benachbarten Insel Samos artenarme Herpetozönose von Ikaria ist durch kleinasiatische Elemente geprägt. Auffällig sind durchwegs starke Populationen, insbesondere bei Rana sp., Laudakia stellio, Lacerta oertzeni und Mauremys rivulata.

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Herpetofauna of the island of Tilos (Dodecanese, Greece): influence of isolation and changes in land use. Five species of reptile (Cyrtopodion kotschyi, Ablepharus kitaibelii, Laudakia stellio, Ophisops elegans, Hierophis jugularis) and one amphibian (Rana bedriagae) were known to occur on the isolated Island of Tilos (Dodecanese). In this paper one more amphibian species (Bufo viridis) and four further reptile species (Hemidactylus turcicus, Lacerta oertzeni, Vípera xanthina, Mauremys rivulata - the distributional status of the latter remaining unclear) are added to the herpetofauna of the island. Both of the original wetland areas on Tilos were destroyed in the last decades. Moreover, cisterns that acted as substitute biotopes are no longer maintained and viable today due to changes towards an intensified agriculture. This led to the disappearance of Rana bedriagae and is threatening Bufo viridis. The destruction of biotopes poses special threat to the hygrophilic herpetofauna on the Greek islands. The herpetofauna of Tilos is compared with that of the neighboring island of Symi, which is of approximately the same size, but holds five more reptile species. Symi is only 7-8 km while Tilos is 20 km from the Anatolian mainland. The higher degree of isolation results in a reduced number of species on Tilos.

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Von der Nord-Dodekanes Insel Lipsi waren bisher eine Amphibien- und fünf Reptilienarten nachgewiesen. Nun kommen Ablepharus kitaibelii und Cyrtopodion (M.) kotschyi dazu. Lipsi soll Teil eines geplanten Meeres Nationalparkes werden. Es werden darum die derzeit nicht nachhaltigen Aspekte der Landnutzung kommentiert und einige Anregungen für Verbesserungen unterbreitet. Als größtes Problem wird die Überbestoßung durch Kleinvieh geortet. Weiters sollte die Zersiedelung der Insel durch raumplanerische Maßnahmen verhindert werden. Für Bufo (P.) viridis sind Rettungsmaßnahmen zur Erhaltung der Laichplätze vordringlich.

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A phylogenetic-comparative approach was used to assess and refine existing secondary structure models for a frequently studied region of the mitochondrial encoded large subunit (16S) rRNA in two large lizard lineages within the Scincomorpha, namely the Scincidae and the Lacertidae. Potential pairings and mutual information were analyzed to identify site interactions present within each lineage and provide consensus secondary structures. Many of the interactions proposed by previous models were supported, but several refinements were possible. The consensus structures allowed a detailed analysis of rRNA sequence evolution. Phylogenetic trees were inferred from Bayesian analyses of all sites, and the topologies used for maximum likelihood estimation of sequence evolution parameters. Assigning gamma-distributed relative rate categories to all interacting sites that were homologous between lineages revealed substantial differences between helices. In both lineages, sites within helix G2 were mostly conserved, while those within helix E18 evolved rapidly. Clear evidence of substantial site-specific rate variation (covarion-like evolution) was also detected, although this was not strongly associated with specific helices. This study, in conjunction with comparable findings on different, higher-level taxa, supports the ubiquitous nature of site-specific rate variation in this gene and justifies the incorporation of covarion models in phylogenetic inference.

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The author describes his herpetological observations in the surroundings of Maramis (and Icmeler) in Turkey in May 2010. Several species were found; Pseudepidalea viridian, Pelophylax ridibundus, Testudo graeca ibera, Mauremys rivulet, Chamaeleo chameleon, Anatololacerta oerzeni palasgiana, Hemidactylus turcicus, Trachylepis auratus, Pseodopus apodus, Typhlops vermicularis, Eirenis modestum, Platyceps najadum.
The author also highlights the discovery of a new lizard species for this area. One phoenicolacerta laevis (female) was seen near the beach of Marmaris. Sixteen other individuals were found in the nearby town of Icmeler. This was the first time that this opportunistic species was found in western Turkey.

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9 species of lizards and 2 species of snakes, belonging to a total of seven families were collected from Kumluca-Kalkan between 8 and 10 April 1997.

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We examined the effects of carbaryl in the digestive system of Ophisops elegans. Lizards were exposed once to different concentrations of carbaryl (2.5, 25 and 250 lg/g). After 96 h, findings related to the esophagus in all treatment groups were not conspicuous. The most important histological defects were observed in the stomach. In the small intestine, collapse of villi was prominent at high-dose. In the large intestine, disintegration in epithelial cells and scattered secretory granules of goblet cells were observed at high dose.

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The current study was designed to evaluate some histomorphological and histochemical characteristics of the digestive tract of Ophisops elegans, the most common lizard species in Turkey. The digestive tract was mainly composed of esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine. Each of these consisted of mucosa, submucosa, tunica muscularis and serosa, as in higher vertebrates. The folded esophageal mucosa had ciliated columnar epithelium with mucous secreting goblet cells which stained positive with PAS (Periodic Acid Schiff) and AB (Alcian Blue) procedures. The surface of the columnar cells of the gastric mucosa and gastric glands of stomach were strongly stained with PAS, but did not show any reaction with AB. The mucosa of small intestine was composed of columnar epithelium with goblet cells that exhibited a strong positive reaction to both PAS and AB. Despite the fact that the mucous secreting cells of the large intestine displayed a strong positive reactivity with PAS, they exhibited a weak reaction with AB. In addition, some statistical differences in AB /PAS staining cellular area and epithelial cell/nuclear area among the parts of the digestive tract were noted. The area of PAS positive material in goblet cells was much greater than the area of AB positive mucosubstances (GAGs) in the large intestine.

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Herpetofauna of the vicinity of Meke Maar (Konya) -- In this study, the amphibian and reptile species distributing the vicinity of Meke Maar were determined and it is tried to provide missing information about herpetofauna of the region. A total of 15 species including 1 anuran, 1 tortoise, 7 lizards and 6 snakes were identified as a result of the field studies.

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We discuss three aspects of the thermal biology of lacertid lizards. First, we provide an overview of the available data on field body temperatures (Tb), the thermal sensitivity of various performance functions and selected body temperatures in different species of lacertid lizards. We also briefly summarise information on the mechanisms of thermoregulation. Second, we discuss recent developments to estimate the »precision« of thermoregulation, and the contribution of distinct behavioural mechanisms. Finally, we revise available evidence for the existence of evolutionary adjustments of thermal characteristics in lacertid lizards. Existing studies have mainly dealt with within- and among-species differences in thermoregulatory behaviour (selected temperatures) and thermal physiology of adults (optimal temperatures, heating rates). Available data provide only limited evidence for clear-cut evolutionary shifts in thermal physiology characteristics along climatic gradients.

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Three species of lizards (Laudakia stellio, Lacerta oertzeni, Ophisops elegans) and an uniden- tified species of snake have been so far quoted for Nisyros Island (Dodecanese, Aegean). New her- petological researches allow to record six other reptilian species: four lizards (Hemidactylus turcicus, Blanus strauchi, Ablepharus kitaibelii, Chalcides ocellatus) and two snakes (Dolichophis caspius, Platy- ceps najadum). An unusual polymorphism of Dolichophis caspius was observed in the local popula- tions, which includes both typical and maculated adults.

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Notes on Rhodian herpetology. It is well known that the terrestrial herpetofauna of Rhodes is composed by 22 taxa. Of these, 15 have been found by the author; of the other seven, two are probably absent from the island (Pseudopus apodus and Natrix tessellata). As regards the Lizards, it has been observed, among other things, how Mabuya aurata shares its habitat with Lacerta oertzeni (occupying however the lower levels); Mabuya appears also to emarginate Chalcides ocellatus. Among the ophidian species, a particular emphasis has been given to Dolichophis jugularis. Of this colubrid various aspects, both morphological and biological, have been considered. Compared with the males of the island of Kos, described in a previous article, the Rhodian males show a different head morphology, a lower number of ventral scales and a lower intensity of colouring. When adult, they are characterized by dorsal melanosis and ventral yellow-red colouring. The degree of darkening seems to depend in small measure on the age and much on individual factors; a correlation between the dorsal and ventral chromatic variability seems to be lacking. Dolichophis jugularis appeared much bound to lentisk shrubs, where it took shelter when menaced. As in Kos, also in Rhodes it appeared to make use of pathways to track down a partner. In the last paragraph, the author assumes the possibility that this snake may perform a certain selection pressure on the ophidian community of the island, contributing to the rarefaction of some snakes. We finally inform that Zamenis situla is still present, since nearly a century, in the surroundings of the village of Agios Isidoros.

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Results of herpetological researches in the area of Marmaris (SW Turkey). The present contribution reports the results of herpetological researches carried out in the area of Marmaris (Mügla province, SW Turkey). Main aim of the researches was to study local populations of Dolichophis jugularis. These resulted to be morphologically similar to those of northern Dodecanese (Leros and Kos). However, some differences were observed in their trophic spectrum, probably due to a different complexity in the ecosystems; month of the year (May), sex and size being equal, the fundamental sauro-theriophagy of the Dodecanese populations changed into the pure ophiophagy of the Turkish specimens. Analysing faeces and ingesta, all snakes preyed on by Dolichophis jugularis had carinate scales, characteristic which in that area (Gökçe) involves Natrix spp. and Montivipera xanthina; the latter seemed also to be strictly syntopical with the colubrid. Additionally, the author records four specimens of Platyceps collaris; the fact that three of them had 17 dorsal scales at mid-body while the species generally has 19 (very rarely 21) is noteworthy. Lastly, contrary to the expectations, Montivipera xanthina resulted morphologically fairly similar to the northern populations.

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The European distribution of Montivipera xanthina includes the coastline of the eastern central Greek Thrace (southeastern Rhodopes and southern Evros). While in south-eastern Evros, the easternmost part of its distribution, Montivipera xanthina seems to be a well-defined evolutionary line, in the central area of this wide territory, in south-western Evros, this viper seems to be very rare or absent; this means that the westernmost populations (those of the Rhodopes) have undergone some kind of isolation or semi-isolation that might have induced the formation of a new subspecies: Montivipera xanthina occidentalis ssp. nov. The new taxon differs from other known subspecies for the tendency to a reduced size and correspondingly for a lower number of intercanthals and of dorsal scales rows, both in the midbody (mostly 21-22) and in the posterior part of the body (often 15-16). A list of herpetological species found in the study area (south-western Evros, Greece NE) is also reported.

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The herpetofauna of the Aegean islands of Oinousses (NE Aegean) and Lipsi (N Dodecanese). -- The herpetofauna of Oinousses Island (NE Aegean) was partially known. In this paper the occurrence on Oinousses of the following herpetological taxa is reported for the first time: Bufotes viridis, Hemidactylus turcicus, Ablepharus kitaibelii, Eirenis modestus and Telescopus fallax. The probability of the current presence in the island of Montivipera xanthina is widely debated and discussed. Forty years after the latest finding, Telescopus fallax was found again in the Aegean island of Lipsi (N Dodecanese). This island hosts a particular morphotype of Montivipera xanthina with extremely interesting morphological features: shorter and wider head, darker shade, smaller size with low number of ventral, widened belly with consequent increase in the number of the dorsals up to 27 in the middle of the trunk, value that is recognizable only in the great Eastern and North African vipers of Daboia and Macrovipera genera respectively.

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The herpetofauna of Samos Island is very rich in species (27 recognised taxa), although most of them both during previous researches carried out in May 2000, and even more during the latest carried out in May 2019 in the south-western part of the island, seemed uncommon and local ized. Regardless the adverse effect of climate change, the reasons could be attributed to three main orders of causes as follows. 1) As in all island faunas of recent settlement, among the various species the processes that lead to establish new balances with gradual reduction of the density of some taxa, may still be in progress. 2) For the chemical degradation of the environment (pesticides). 3) For mechanical and pyric degradation of the environment (cutting and forest fire), which led to a widespread olive cultivation on the island; the olive grove, the resulting open and barren environment, reduces the chance of establishment of herpetological species. Finally as regards the local population of Montivipera xanthina, main purpose of research, the few collected data describe preliminarily a large size form with a quite high number of ventral scales.

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Further notes on the herpetofauna of the Aegean island of Samos. -- In May 2022 new herpetological researches have been carried out on the Aegean island of Samos. It is confirmed that the island is home to a varied and heterogenous herpetofauna, distributed in variously scattered and dense populations. Noteworthy is the finding of a specimen and of an exuvia of Hemorrhois nummifer in the northern part of Samos; so far, the nine reports of this species for the island have been detected in the southern part. It is stressed that climate changes, pesticides, wild fires, the widespread presence of unsuitable habitats for reptile life (as olive groves), and vehicular traffic, are factors which, directly or indirectly, tend to limit the density of the various herpetological species.

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A list of reptiles and amphibians occurring on the Dodecanese Archipelago is provided with the latest taxonomic updates. Notes relating to animals’ ecology and to critical habitats are also given. Observations are also made regarding the subspecies Dolichophis jugularis zinneri Cattaneo, 2012 endemic to Rhodes and its Archipelago, and a survey on the Amphibians and Reptiles species known from the southwestern Turkey, whose presence in the Dodecanese Islands has not yet been detected, is discussed.

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In this investigation, lizard species of Turkish Thrace are investigated indetail for the first time. Morphological characretirstics, range, distribution and subspecific states of the species are given. Furthermore, some observations concerning their biological and ecological characteristics are also given. In this study a total of 678 specimens and 10 species belonging to 3 families of Lacertilia have been investigated from Turkish Trace.

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An analysis of geographic distribution areas of the 41 taxa of Reptiles sampled or observed in the Aures massif is provided at two levels. At the overall level, eight groups of biogeographic affinities have been set apart; the number of mediterranean species (49 %) about equals that of saharian ones (46 %). 95 % of the total number of Reptiles species are of palearctic origin. At the regional level, we have distinguished three distribution types: (1) insular areas, isolated from populations of the neighbouring regions, with a continuous or a fragmented pattern in the Aurcs massif ; (2) parapatric areas with juxtaposed or overlapped ecological habitat ranges; (3) sympatric areas of allotopic or syntopic species. Hypothesis about origin and settlement of the Aures herpetofauna are infered.

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Two species of Ophisops, O. occidentalis and O. elegans (Lacertidae), occur in the Aures massif, Algeria, with a parapatric distribution. In relation to current ecological and bioclimatical factors, this situation is explained by an interspecific exclusion favouring O. occidentalis. Quaternary climatic modifications may have been responsible for wide variations in the distribution areas of Ophisops in Northern Africa, and account for their current geographical separation.

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In this research, 29 species of 11 amphibian and reptile families were detected in the endorheic basin of Akşehir and Eber. Of these species, 5 are anurans, 1 is a tortoise, 1 is a turtle, 9 are lizards, and 13 are snakes. In addition, the chorotype classification of the species recorded in the study area and their distributions depending on plants are also provided. It was established that specimens of subspecies Ophisops elegans macrodactylus and O. e. centralanatolia were sympatrically found in the vicinity of Ortaköy and Tuzlukçu. Moreover, in addition to the species determined in previous studies, Platyceps najadum and Hemorrhois nummifer were first detected in this region.

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The herpetofauna of Thassos consists of 5 amphibians (2 toads, 3 frogs) and 14 reptiles (1 tortoise, 1 terrapin, 6 lizards, 6 snakes), a total of 19 species. The possibility that some of the species mentioned in List B may also occur brings the total to a porentlal 24. In addition a further two species need to be considered: Ablepharus kitaibelli, Snakeeyed Skink, and Emys orbicularis, European Pond Tortoise. As I have indicated (Clark, 1993) the apparent absence of the former species is curious considering its otherwise ubiquitous range. This little skink prefers cool, dampish situations and is most commonly found in the early spring and autumn. E.orbicularis has recently been recorded from Samothraki (Broggi, 1988) where it is sympatric with Mauremys caspica.

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During herpetological fieldwork from April 2013 to March 2014 on the herpetofauna of the counties of Saravan, Sib and Suran, Zaboli, Sarbaz, and Chabahar in south east of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Southeastern Iran a total of 97 specimens of lizards belonging to 19 species and five subspecies, 16 genera, and six families were collected and identified as follows: Calotes versicolor, Laudakia nupta nupta, L. n. fusca, Phrynocephalus scutellatus, Trapelus agilis agilis (Agamidae); Agamura persica, Bunopus tuberculatus, Cyrtopodion scabrum (Gekkonidae); Acanthodactylus blanfordii, A. micropholis, Eremias fasciata, E. persica , Mesalina watsonana, Ophisops elegans (Lacertidae); Ablepharus grayanus, Eumeces schneiderii zarudnyi, Ophiomorus brevipes, O. tridactylus (Scincidae); Uromastyx asmussi (Uromastycidae); and Varanus griseus caspius (Varanidae). The most diverse families of the present collection are the Lacertidae with six species, followed by Agamidae and Scincidae each with four species. Detailed information of each lizard species was also provided.

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Twenty-one species of reptiles and amphibians belonging to nine families were recorded in this survey. These species included one amphibian, one tortoise, 12 lizards, and seven snakes. The present study is the fi rst attempt to compare between opportunistic and systematic survey methods in Jordan for reptiles and amphibians. The opportunistic survey is the method of choice when conducting a survey to assess the presence or absence of reptilian species regardless of their abundance. On the other hand, the systematic survey proved to be an excellent method to evaluate the abundance of species, expressed in the total number of observations. Ophisops elegans was by far the most frequently observed species and accounted for 28.94 % and 61.03 % of all observations when employing opportunistic and systematic surveys respectively. Additionally, this lizard was found in all types of habitats studied within the reserve.

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The Arasbaran Protected Area is a forested and mountainous area, which is located in northern part of East Azerbaijan province and bordered to the north by Armenia and Azerbaijan and southern Aras River of the Iranian Plateau confined to 38°40` to 39°08`N and 46°39` to 47°02`E. A study on the status of Sauria in this area was carried out from June to September 2011 and 2013. A total of 141 specimens were collected and identified, which represented four families, 11genera, and 12 species and subspecies, including collected Agamidae: Paralaudakia caucasia, Phrynocephalus persicus, Trapelus lessonae, Anguidae: Pseudopus apodus, Lacertidae: Darevskia raddeii, Iranolacerta brandtii, Eremias strauchi, Lacerta media, Lacerta strigata, Ophisops elegans and Scincidae: Eumeces schneideri Ablepharus bivittatus. The Lacertidae with six species, showed the highest diversity among the families represented here. In this study a new locality was found for Lacerta strigata 30 km north of kalibar, in the Arasbaran.

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Zoogeographically, the Jordanian herpetofauna is heterogeneous, originating from four biogeographical regions (Oriental, Palearctic, Saharo-Sindian, and Afrotropical) and occupying four different ecozones. Ninetythree species and subspecies of amphibians and reptiles are recorded from Jordan, showing different distribution patterns. The Mediterranean ecozone harbours the highest number (35) of recorded species, followed by the Sudanian Tropical penetration zone (16), and the Badyiah ecozone (12), respectively. Jordan is not separated by natural boundaries from the surrounding countries, which prevents the operation of isolation mechanisms, and seems to result in the absence of endemism. There are, however, three areas of endemism within the Eastern Mediterranean region taken as one whole unit: the Badyiah shared by Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, the northern part of the Mediterranean ecozone shared by Lebanon, Israel, Syria and Jordan, and southwest Jordan, Israel and Sinai. Some Palearctic species such as Coluber schmidti and C. ravergieri are relicts of the postglacial period and continue to survive in refugal enclaves with delicate ecological patterns. The distribution of some species, such as Bufo viridis, Mauremys caspica rivulata, Natrix tessellata, Coluber ventromaculatus, C. jugularis asianus, Walterinnesia aegyptia, and Vipera palaestinae, has been greatly influenced by climatic as well as anthropogenic changes.

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Zoogeographically, the Syrian herpetofauna is heterogeneous, originating from four biogeographical regions (Oriental, Palearctic, Saharo-Sindian and Afrotropical) and is characterized by the presence of five ecozones. 50% of the terrestrial herpetofaunal species are of palaearetic affinity while 32.3%, 14.6% and 3.1% are of Saharo-Sindian, Arabian and Afrotropical affinities, respectively. Five records of reptiles are new to the Syrian fauna: Emys orbicularis, Acanthodactylus opheodurus, Acanthodactylus schreiben syriacus, Pseudotrapelus sinaitus, Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis, and Lepto- typhlops macrorhynchus; Coluber rogersi is reported for the second time. An updated list of the herpetofauna of Syria is given.

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We have studied the terrestrial reptile fauna of the northwest Yazd province (Iran) and present here some of the characters that we examined for common species in the region. In total, 50 specimens from eight families (six lizard families and two snake families) were collected from the region. The collected lizards belonging to 13 species were Laudakia nupta, Phrynocephalus maculatus, Phrynocephalus scutellatus, and Trapelus agilis (Agamidae); Agamura persica and Bunopus crassicaudus (Gekkonidae), Teratoscincus bedriagai (Sphaerodactylidae); Eremias fasciata, Eremias persica, Mesalina watsonana, and Ophisops elegans (Lacertidae); Varanus griseus (Varanidae), and finally Uromastix asmussi belonging to the Uromastycidae. The two species of snakes were Spalerosophis diadema schiraziana (Colubridae) and Psammophis schokari (Lamprophiidae). Based on these results, Agamidae and Lacertidae are the families with highest number of genera and the genera Eremias and Phrynocephalus had the most species. Among the collected lizards, Trapelus agilis, Mesalina watsonana, and Bunopus crassicaudus were the most abundant species in the northwest Yazd province.

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Amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates on Lesbos (Greece), April 28th–May 5th, 2006 -- The authors joined a herpetological journey to the Greek island of Lesbos close to the Turkish mainland. The group counted nine members and was travelling by van. The island of Lesbos is about 70 km long and about 45 km wide and is inhabited by about 80.000 people. The island is more or less mountainous (max. 970 m above sealevel). Pine, oak and scrub are common as well as more than 10 million olivetrees. Tourism, fishing, small scale farming and goat and sheepkeeping are the main source of income.The group visited a large part of the island on which wetlands, small rivers and small pools can be found. The searching was rather intensive and took about 10 hours a day. In total 19 species of reptiles and 5 species of amphibians are found. The search for invertebrates was limited to scorpions (only 1 species was found on Lesbos), some spiders (one of them the European ‘redback’) and centipedes. A list of observed species is found on page 10.

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Eremiadinae, one of three subfamilies of Lacertidae, are distributed throughout Asia and Africa. Previous phylogenetic studies suggested that one of the main groups of Eremiadinae (the Ethiopian clade) consist of two clades with predominately East-African and South-African distribution. Yet, especially the latter one, which includes the genera Pedioplanis, Meroles, Ichnotropis, Tropidosaura and Australolacerta, was not well supported in the molecular phylogenetic analysis. In this study, we analysed the phylogenetic relationships among the genera of the ‘South African clade’ to assess whether this group actually forms a highly supported clade and to address questions concerning the monophyly of the genera. We sequenced sections of the widely used mitochondrial genes coding for 16S rRNA, 12S rRNA and cytochrome b (altogether 2045 bp) as well as the nuclear genes c-mos, RAG-1, PRLR, KIF24, EXPH5 and RAG-2 (altogether 4473 bp). The combined data set increased the support values for several nodes considerably. Yet, the relationships among five major lineages within the ‘South African clade’ are not clearly resolved even with this large data set. We interpret this as a ‘hard polytomy’ due to fast radiation within the South African lacertids. The combined tree based on nine marker genes provides strong support for the ‘South African Clade’ and its sister group relationship with the ‘East African Clade’. Our results confirm the genus Tropidosaura as a monophylum, while Ichnotropis is paraphyletic in our trees: Ichnotropis squamulosa appears more closely related to Meroles than to Ichnotropis capensis. Furthermore, the monophyly of Meroles is questionable as well. Based on our results, I. squamulosa should be transferred from Ichnotropis into the genus Meroles. Also, the two species of Australolacerta (A. australis and A. rupicola) are very distantly related and the genus is perhaps paraphyletic, too. Finally we propose a phylogeographical scenario in the context of palaeoclimatic data and compare it with a previously postulated hypothesis.

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Despite global efforts to halt biodiversity loss, it continues to decline due to a combination of unsustainable actions, increasing the urgency for measures to reverse this trend. A major constraint regarding efficient biodiversity management is the lack of knowledge on most species` population size and abundance patterns. Reptiles are used in ecological research as model organisms due to their ease in handling, and their diversity in behaviour and ecology. Reptile diversity of Cyprus is high and includes several endemic species. The aim of this study was to compare lizard diversity patterns along riverbanks within and around designated protected areas. Riparian habitats have received less attention in conservation-oriented studies in Mediterranean regions, despite their ecological significance and the distinct communities they host, or their vulnerability to climate change. The role of environmental factors, seasonality, and habitat heterogeneity for lizard assemblages in riparian areas was evaluated along three rivers that flow inside and outside protected areas. The abundances of the four more common species (Ophisops elegans, Phoenicolacerta troodica, Laudakia cypriaca, and Acanthodactylus schreiberi) were evaluated separately. We recorded most of Cyprus’ lizard species in riparian habitats, but diversity and richness were not associated with any of the explanatory variables. The abundances of the four species exhibited different relationships each with elevation, season, and protection status, but not with habitat heterogeneity. The latter could be related to the fact that riparian habitat heterogeneity patterns are very similar throughout the study sites. Our results suggest that Cyprus’ lizard diversity and riparian habitats have not been considered much in the design of protected areas.

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Während zweier Aufenthalte von sechseinhalb bzw. acht Monaten im syrisch-libanesisch-islraelischen Grenzgebiet hatte ich Gelegenheit, die dortige Herpetofauna zu studieren. Besonders intensiv untersuchte ich Südwest-Syrien, nämlich die östlichen Golanhöhen und den Hermon. 6 Amphibien-und 33 Reptilienarten konnten nachgewiesen werden, die mit Angaben ihrer Fundorte, Nahrungsgewohnheiten, Habitate und hinweisungswürdigen Anmerkungen aufgelistet werden.

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Western Iran in general and Ilam province in particular, has unique geographical and climatic conditions that support a rich flora and fauna. In view of the lack of in-depth studies of lizards of the region, an investigation was initiated in most areas of Ilam Province for an inventory of lizard species and their habitats. A total of 189 specimens were collected and identified from May 2005 to August 2009. Twenty one species belonging to 18 genera and 8 families were represented, including Agamidae: Laudakia nupta, Trapelus lessonae (formerly T. ruderatus), Trapelus ruderatus (formerly T. persicus); Eublepharidae: Eublepharis angramainyu; Gekkonidae: Bunopus tuberculatus, Cyrtopodion scabrum, Cyrtopodion heterocercum, Hemidactylus persicus, Stenodactylus affinis, Tropiocolotes helenae; Lacertidae: Acanthodactylus boskianus, Apathya cappadocica, Mesalina brevirostris, Ophisops elegans; Phyllodactylidae: Asaccus elisae; Scincidae: Ablepharus pannonicus, Eumeces schneiderii, Trachylepis aurata, Trachylepis vittata; Uromastycidae: Uromastyx loricatus; Varanidae: Varanus griseus griseus, Varanus griseus caspius. Comparing this list to the data provided by Anderson (1999), several lizards are reported for the first time in this region. With six species represented, gekkonids have the highest species diversity in the area.

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A specially optimized restriction analysis of highly repetitive DNA elements, called DNA taxonprint, was applied for phylogenetic study of primates and lizards. It was shown that electrophoretic bands of DNA repeats revealed by the taxonprint technique have valuable properties for molecular systematics. Approximately half of taxonprint bands (TB) are invariable and do not disappear from the genomes during evolution or change spontaneously. Presumably these invariable bands are restriction fragments of dispersed DNA repeats. Another group represents variable taxonprint bands that differ even between closely related species. These variable bands are probably represented by tandem DNA repeats and could be used as species-specific markers. It was shown that taxonprint bands are independent characters since the appearance of a new taxonprint band does not change the previous band pattern. Phylogenetic reconstruction carried out on taxonprint data demonstrated that this approach could be of general utility for molecular systematics and species identification.

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Information on the reptile communities of eighteen islands from the Northern Dodecanese (SE Aegean Islands, Greece) is reported here for the first time. The island groups of Arki, Lipsi, Patmos and Agathonissi were visited and distributional as well as ecological information is given for Cyrtopodion kotschyi, Hemidactylus turcicus, Able- pharus kitaibelii, Laudakia stellio. Coluber najadum. Coluber caspius and Vipera xanthina. Faunal relaxation is the main process structuring the species communities on the islands.

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Herpetological trip to Israel in 2016 A combination of a long lasting wish to visit the Middle East and motivated by a book of Bar & Haimovitch (2012) we undertook a trip to Israel in the period April 11- 21 2016. The field guide mentions 92 reptile and amphibian species occurring in Israel. Besides that you can find a lot of other animals in Israel, amongst which specific birds, mammals and eighteen species of scorpions (Stockmann & Ythier, 2010). We had five accommodations (two days each) from the most northern part (the Golan Heights to the most southern part of Israel (Eilat). In the table you can see what kind of reptiles and scorpions we discovered in specific regions of Israel. We thank Aviad, Aviv and Ilian for their enthusiastic support and hospitality and Gert-Jan for his support to organize this trip.

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Une comparaison de l`herpétofaune du Maroc et de la Jordanie est esquissée. Ces deux pays ont été choisis parce qu`ils se situent aux extrémités ouest et est de la Méditerranée, et que j`ai eu l`opportunité d`y séjourner plusieurs fois. Bien que distants de 3 700 km l`un de l`autre, ces deux pays présentent de nombreuses affinités dans la composition de leurs herpétofaunes respectives. Ceci est dû entre autres à des configurations géographiques en partie comparables. En revanche, l`isolation des plaines de l`ouest Marocain par les chaînes de l`Atlas et l`influence océanique très marquée ont favorisé la persistance d`espèces relictuelles endémiques et la différentiation d`espèces distinctes de part et d`autre de l`axe atlasique, alors que la Jordanie ne comporte aucune espèce endémique à ce seul pays. Enfin, le Maroc est presque huit fois plus étendu que la Jordanie, ce qui n`est pas négligeable quand on s`intéresse à la richesse spécifique d`un pays. En effet, le Maroc compte au moins 119 espèces d`amphibiens et de reptiles et la Jordanie, 100 espèces. Dans l`état actuel des connaissances taxonomiques, 13 espèces sont encore considérées comme les mêmes au Maroc et en Jordanie, presque toutes cependant représentées par des sous-espèces bien différenciées et/ou par des lignées très divergentes. Trente-deux genres sont communs aux deux pays, dont beaucoup sont des taxons des régions arides et désertiques, zones toutes plus ou moins reliées entre elles et non séparées par des barrières géographiques très anciennes. Vingt-sept genres présents au Maroc sont inconnus en Jordanie et 24 genres présents en Jordanie sont inconnus au Maroc. Contrairement aux similitudes des deux herpétofaunes, les différences sont surtout marquées chez les espèces méditerranéennes, auxquelles se joignent quelques éléments afro-tropicaux absents de Jordanie. Plusieurs exemples de couples d`espèces Maroc / Jordanie ont été commentés sur la base de photos originales prises dans les deux pays. Le genre Mesalina a fait l`objet d`une attention particulière, avec la mise en évidence de deux espèces supplémentaires pour la Jordanie: Mesalina bahaeldini et M. microlepis.

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Squamata or scaled Reptiles are the largest order of new Reptiles including Lizards, Snakes and Amphisbaenia. They have formed 95 precent of new Reptiles. Our goal is Lizard Biodiversity of Torbat-e Heydaryeh in Razavi Khorasan Province. The study of Lizards Biodiversity of Torbat-e Heydaryeh in Razavi Khorasan Province was carried out in 2012 until 2013. In this research 132 specimens were collected and observed and identified on the basis of morphological, morphometric and meristic characters. The collected and observated Lizards belonging to 5 families: Agamidae, Lacertidae, Scincidae, Gekkonidae and Varanidae including 8 genera and 12 species. Results showed that Agamidae and Lacertidae families have the most frequency. The Agamidae family has the most genera and Lacertidae family has the most species. laudakia caucasia, laudakia microlepis, Trapelus sanguinolentus and Mesalina watsonana were the dominant species in this region and had a wider distribution rang in coparision with other species.

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Karyological studies were conducted using bone marrow cell preparations from four species of Lacertidae and Scincidae from Iran: Eremias persica Blanford, Eremias kopetdaghica Szczerbak, Ophisops elegans Ménétries (Lacertidae), and Eumeces schneiderii princeps (Eichwald) (Scincidae). Eremias persica was diploid with 2n = 38 chromosomes. The karyotype consisted of eighteen pairs of acrocentric macrochromosomes and two microchromosomes. Eremias kopetdaghica was also diploid with 2n = 38 comprising one pair of metacentric macrochromosomes, seventeen pairs of acrocentric macrochromosomes, and one pair of microchromosomes. The chromosome count for these two species is reported for the first time herein. The chromosome count for Ophisops elegans (2n = 38) was in agreement with a previous report and was the first for the herpetofauna of Iran. Eumeces schneiderii princeps showed 32 macro- and microchromosomes, representing the first report for this subspecies.

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Age estimation and growth were studied in a population of Ophisops elegans in the Kermanshah region, Iran, by skeletochronology. Age was determined for individual lizards by counting the number of lines of arrested growth (LAG) in cross-sections taken from femoral bones. According to data provided here, the maximum life span of females and males was 5 and 4 years, respectively. The average longevity of males was 2.15 years and 2.20 years for females. The mean snout-vent length (SVL) of specimens collected from this region was 48.75 mm with no significant difference between males and females. Based on the information provided here and by other workers, we concluded that the LAG observed in this specific taxon is the result of hibernation. Other environmental factors such as feeding and prey availability do not have any effect on the production of the LAG.

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The aim of this study was to catalog the species of amphibians and reptiles in Honaz District, in the province of Denizli, Turkey, based on field surveys carried out during March–October of 2015–2018. The species found include five amphibians (Bufo bufo, Bufotes variabilis, Pelophylax bedriagae, Hyla orientalis, Rana macrocnemis) and 22 reptiles: two turtles (Mauremys rivulata, Testudo graeca), nine lizards (Stellagama stellio, Mediodactylus kotschyi, Anatololacerta danfordi, Lacerta trilineata, Ophisops elegans, Ablepharus kitaibellii, Pseudopodus apodus, Blanus strauchi, Heremites auratus), and 11 snakes (Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Dolichophis jugularis, D. caspius, Hemorrhois numnifer, Eirenis modestus, Telescopus fallax, Elaphe sauromates, Natrix natrix, N. tessellata, Eryx jaculus, Montivipera xanthina). In addition, the various factors threatening these species in this area were determined and proposals for the conservation of these species are presented.

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During the three trips conducted to Northern Cyprus in 2007, we found that three frog and toad species (Anura), 11 lizards (Lacertilia), 3 turtles (Testudinata) and 9 snakes (Ophidia) inhabit the northern part of the Cyprus Island. The distributions of a total of 26 reptile and amphibian species were observed and some ecological information on their biotopes was summarized, and the taxonomic states of some of the species determined discussed.

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Karyotype data are presented for 12 species of lacertid lizards. Of these, 4 Acanthodactylus, 2 Eremias, 1 Ophisops, and 4 Lacerta have n = 19, with all chromosomes acrocentric. This is the typical lacertid karyotype, as reported in previous literature. One species, Lacerta parva, is quite different from all the others. The haploid number is 12, consisting of 7 pairs of metacentric macrochromosomes and 5 pairs of microchromosomes. The fundamental number (number of arms in the karyotype) is the same in L. parva as in all the other species studied. The possibility of female sex chromosomal heteromorphism is raised, but data are not sufficient to confirm this.

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In this work almost all the known presences of Amphibians and Reptiles of the Aegean island of Tilos are confirmed, while serious criticalities are highlighted for the species more related to the aquatic environments due to the strong aridity of the island. On the basis of new evidence, it also confirmed the membership of the Telescopus fallax population of Tilos to the subspecies rhodicusWettstein, 1952. Considerations on the range of this species to the southern Aegean islands are also expressed.

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This note is a preliminary study on the herpetological and theriological fauna of Alimia Island (Rhodes Archipelago, Aegean Sea). Are described seven species of reptiles and three of micromammals. Is also provided a short botanical characterization of the island.

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During naturalistic research performed in August of 2022 and 2023 in several Aegean islands, three new herpetological records occurred: Hemorrhois nummifer on Telendos Island, Laudakia stellio on Pserimos Island and Dolichophis caspius on Kitriani Islet.

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Multiple band patterns of DNA repeats in the 20–500-nucleotide range can be detected by digesting genomic DNA with short—cutting restriction endonucleases, followed by end labeling of the restriction fragments and fractionation in nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels. We call such band patterns obtained from genomic DNA ‘‘taxonprints’’ (Fedorov et al. 1992). Here we show that taxonprints for the taxonomic groups studied (mammals, reptiles, fish, insects—altogether more than 50 species) have the following properties: (1) All individuals from the same species have identical taxonprints. (2) Taxonprint bands can be subdivided into those specific for a single species and those specific for groups of closely related species, genera, and even families. (3) Each restriction endonuclease produces unique band patterns; thus, five to ten restriction enzymes (about 100 bands) may be sufficient for a statistical treatment of phylogenetic relationships based on polymorphisms of restriction endinuclease sites. We demonstrate that taxonprint analysis allows one to distinguish closely related species and to establish the degree of similarity among species and among genera. These characteristics make to use this phenomenon for phylogenetic aims (Cooke 1975; Christie and Skinner 1979; Brown and Dover 1979, 1980; Elizur et al. 1982; Hembelen et al. 1982; Buckland 1983; Dandieu et al. 1984; Lima de Faria et al. 1984; Shubina and Mednikov 1986; Turner et al. 1991), but this approach has not been extensively applied. In this paper we have reexamined the problem on the basis of our own preliminary results, partly published in Russian journals, confirming the ideas about possible correlations between evolution of DNA repeats and speciation (Fedorov et al. 1992; Grechko et al. 1993; Potapov and Ryskov 1993). We have demonstrated that the modified method designated ‘‘DNA taxonprint’’ (Fedorov et al. 1992) can be effectively used for revealing species—specific genomic markers in different taxonomic groups. These taxonprint markers are found to be helpful for evaluation of the degree of species similarity between species, genera, and families. More than 50 species from different taxa were studied.

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n this study the Check list lizards of Iraq were investigated. by reviewing the old and new data as well as carrying out field work and study of material in the Natural history Museum of Iraq as well as many departments and colleges in various universities, are discussed.Further, various relevant websites in the Internet specialized lizards. I found in this study 7 families, 27 genera and 50 species distribution in the different parts of Iraq. During this study I found Asaccus saffinae (Afrasiab & Mohamad, 2009) the first time in SheraSwar Cave in the Saffine Mountain near Erbil, Kurdistan and the first record new species in Iraq and found Ptyodactylus puiseuxi (Boutan, 1893) the first time in same area . Also found Carinatogecko heteropholis(Minton, S. Anderson, and J. A. Anderson, 1970) Which is one of the endemic species in western Iran in the Erbil western Zagros foothills in Erbil. Trapelus ruderatus (Olivier, 1804) found in the central of Iraq. Cyrtopodion scaber (Heyden, 1827) Previously found in southern Iraq But recently also recorded in the center and northern Iraq. Varanus nesterovi (Bohme, Ehrlich, Milto, Orlov & Scholz, 2015) new species in the northern of Iraq. Lacerta media (Lantz & Cyren, 1758) found newly in central and northern of Iraq and Timon kurdistanicus, Apathya cappadocica (Werner, 1902) (Suchow, 1936) northern of Iraq. I note the two families were finding Previously in Iraq and they did not record any new genus and species in Iraq.

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Attention is given to the reptiles and amphibians of the island Lesbos in Greece. The observations were made during a holiday in July 1987.

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Coccidian (Apicomplexa: Coccidia) parasites have been reported in almost all groups of vertebrates. These parasites may cause serious ecological and pathological effects to their hosts. Reptiles were found the be the host of the parasites of the genera Schellackia and Lankesterella, as these parasites undergo their entire life cycle in the reptilian body, with an intermediate stage of dormancy in the tissues of a hematophagus transmitter (generally a mite or a mosquito), until the next reptilian host swallows the infected insect. However, very little is known about the prevalence and intensity of these parasites in most of their distribution area, which is the focus of the current study. To do so, the prevalence and intensity of these blood parasites in three species of lizards, including Ophisops elegans, Trapelus lessonae and Eremias monticola from Markazi Province of Iran were investigated. Samples of blood were collected from the caudal vein of 51 lizards of the aforementioned species by insulin syringes, then the blood smears were dried, fixed with methanol and stained with Giemsa solution. Prepared blood samples were then examined by means of light microscopy, using a 100× magnification objective lens. 41 percent of the 51 examined samples were found to be infected by haemococcidians blood parasites from the family Lankesterellidae. The mean intensity of parasites in the three species were between 0.03-0.05%. The investigation revealed a relatively high percentage of prevalence and intensity of blood parasites in lizards of central part of Iran. The results showed the presence of a complete set of various vectors for the spread of haemoparasites in the area. Therefore, future researches are strongly recommended to utilize genetic markers in order to obtain a better identification of the parasites.

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Reptiles are known hosts of a wide variety of parasites, including haemoparasites. Species of Lankestrella (Apicomplexa; Haemococcidia) have been described from the blood of lizards distributed in American and western European areas. In the present study, we characterized morphologically and molecularly the haemococcidian parasites (sporozoites) that infect the blood cells of Eremias persica and Ophisops elegans, two species of lacertid lizards from central Iran. By the microscopic examination of the smears, we identified parasites as the genus Lankestrella. In total, two positive samples of each species have investigated the basis of the partial 18S rRNA gene analyses. The result of similarity analysis with our sequences using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) indicated a11 four parasites belonging to one haplotype of Lankestrella sp. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the new Lankestrella sp is related to Lankestrella sp identified from two lizards belonging to Spain and Socotra Archipelago. This is the first report of Lankestrella parasites in the new lizard`s host. The present study provided additional information about the new host of Lankestrella species and added new knowledge to clarify the future phylogenetic relationship between these parasites. Our results emphasize the importance of screening haemococcidian parasites in Iran.

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In recent years there has been an exponential increase in the amount of published DNA sequences, as it has become one of the most popular sources of data for reconstructing phylogenies. A number of studies have attempted to resolve the relationships of groups of lacertids using mitochondrial DNA sequence data, in particular Podarcis and Gallotia (e.g. THORPE et al., 1994; 1996; GONZALEZ et al., 1996; FU et al., 1997; HARRIS, 1997; HARRIS et al., 1998a; 1999; CASTILLA et al., 1999a,b). Reassessment of these data suggest some alternative phylogenies to those previously published, and also highlight possible problems. Two studies have attempted to unravel the phylogeny of the whole family using mitochondrial DNA sequences (FU, 1998; HARRIS et al., 1998b). By combining these essentially congruent data sets, and reanalysing levels of support for the phylogenies produced, a more complete estimate of relationships across the family is produced. This is then compared to alternative sources of evidence, primarily morphological (ARNOLD, 1989), biochemical (MAYER & BENYR, 1994) and karyological (OLMO et al., 1993). Reasons for discrepencies are discussed, as are the relative advantages and disadvantages of the different sources of phylogenetic inference.

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Den Iran als Urlaubsziel zu wählen, dies dürfte wohl den wenigsten Deutschen einfallen. Dabei verfügt dieses riesige Land über eine reichhaltige Kultur und ist auch unter herpetologischen Gesichtspunkten sehr interessant. Andererseits bietet der Iran fast keine touristische Infrastruktur und ist dem Tourismus auch nicht wirklich aufgeschlossen - angefangen dabei, dass Kreditkarten nicht akzeptiert werden, bis hin zur Kopftuchpflicht für alle Frauen, egal welcher Nationalität oder Glaubensrichtung sie angehören. Dies alles schreckte uns jedoch nicht davon ab, per Fahrrad ca. 3600 Kilometer von Istanbul bis nach Tehran zu fahren, weitestgehend entlang der alten Seidenstrasse.

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The evolutionary diversification of many terrestrial vertebrate groups is strongly linked to climatic events in the Cenozoic, the period from 65 Million years ago to today when modern animals first appeared. I investigated the effects of Cenozoic climate change on the taxonomic and morphological diversification of the Old World lizard family Lacertidae, with particular emphasis on the African radiation. African lacertids exhibit an unusual pattern of diversification, in which their highest species richness occurs in deserts north and south of the equator, despite being spread throughout the continent. This disparity is particularly surprising given that desert lacertids are thought to be evolutionarily younger than their mesic-dwelling relatives, suggesting increased diversification rates in arid habitats. To identify the evolutionary factors underlying this pattern, I use a combination of phylogenetic, morphological and ecological techniques. In Chapter 1, I apply Bayesian methods and fossil-based calibrations to molecular sequence data to construct a time-calibrated phylogeny for Lacertidae. I estimate that the family arose in the early Cenozoic, with the majority of their African radiation occurring in the Eocene and Oligocene. In Chapter 2, I describe changes in lacertid body shape across biomes and substrates, and find widespread morphological convergence in similar habitat types. I suggest that in addition to foraging demands, fluctuating and extreme climatic conditions, largely driven by precipitation and temperature, contribute to morphological convergence across independent arid-dwelling clades. Finally, I test if ancestral transitions in ecology, morphology, and rates of diversification temporally coincide with paleoclimatic events in the Cenozoic. I use High Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography to characterize changes in the skull related to life in arid habitats, and apply maximum likelihood methods to test if the origins of those traits temporally coincide with significant shifts in habitat, diversification rates and climatic changes. My results show that African lacertids experienced three major peaks in diversification, accompanied by the evolution of suites of arid-adapted morphological traits. These changes coincide with climatic shifts in Africa, including the transition from closed forests to open grasslands and savanna in the late Oligocene, prior to the peak temperatures of the mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum, and following the formation of the Benguela current leading to hyper-aridity in southern Africa. I conclude that deserts are important centers for reptile evolution, but that expected changes in climate due to global warming may outpace the ability of arid-dwelling species to adapt and persist in the future.

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Background: Although current molecular clock methods offer greater flexibility in modelling evolutionary events, calibration of the clock with dates from the fossil record is still problematic for many groups. Here we implement several new approaches in molecular dating to estimate the evolutionary ages of Lacertidae, an Old World family of lizards with a poor fossil record and uncertain phylogeny. Four different models of rate variation are tested in a new program for Bayesian phylogenetic analysis called TreeTime, based on a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences. We incorporate paleontological uncertainty into divergence estimates by expressing multiple calibration dates as a range of probabilistic distributions. We also test the reliability of our proposed calibrations by exploring effects of individual priors on posterior estimates. Results: According to the most reliable model, as indicated by Bayes factor comparison, modern lacertids arose shortly after the K/T transition and entered Africa about 45 million years ago, with the majority of their African radiation occurring in the Eocene and Oligocene. Our findings indicate much earlier origins for these clades than previously reported, and we discuss our results in light of paleogeographic trends during the Cenozoic. Conclusion: This study represents the first attempt to estimate evolutionary ages of a specific group of reptiles exhibiting uncertain phylogenetic relationships, molecular rate variation and a poor fossil record. Our results emphasize the sensitivity of molecular divergence dates to fossil calibrations, and support the use of combined molecular data sets and multiple, well-spaced dates from the fossil record as minimum node constraints. The bioinformatics program used here, TreeTime, is publicly available, and we recommend its use for molecular dating of taxa faced with similar challenges.

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In May 2003 the temperature on the Greek island of Lesbos was unseasonably high and not a drop of rain fell. Most likely that was the reason why no toads (Bufo bufo and Bufo viridis) were found. Green Frogs (Rana spec.) were abundant. The Common Tree Frog (Hyla arborea) was observed in low numbers. In terms of lizards, Balkan Green Lizards (Lacerta trilineata) were the most common; much less frequently observed were the Snake- eyed Lacertid (Ophisops elegans) and the Turkish Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus). In addition, we report the presence of the Starred Agama (Laudakia stellio) and European Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus apodus thracius). We encountered five species of snakes: Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus), Grass Snake (Natrix natrix persa); Dice Snake (Natrix tessellata); Large Whip Snake (Coluber caspius) and Ottoman Viper (Vipera xanthina). Turtles and tortoises were abundant. In a narrow coastal strip no less than 60 Spur-thighed Tortoises were seen. Balkan Terrapins (Mauremys rivulata) were found in nearly every body of water, occasionally together with European Pond Terrapins (Emys orbicularis). The latter species was observed with significantly less frequency. The ’Lesbian Wildlife Hospital’ is currently breeding a once wounded female Marginated Tortoise (Testudo marginata), which is being crossed with a male Testudo graeca. The hybrid young born from this pair are unfortunately released on the island.

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The aim of this study is to detect areas of endemism in lizards in Iran. This is the first study of its kind focusing on this subject. Areas of endemism for two families of lizards (Lacertidae and Gekkonidae) that have the highest number of endemic species than other lizard families in Iran were identified by Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE). Distribution data were collected from previous studies on the Iranian lizards and also from the recent literature on the descriptions of new endemic species. A total of 81 species of lizards were available for analysis. The study area was divided into a 2° × 2° grid of 63 Operational Geographic Units (OGUs). PAE was applied to the data matrix to detect areas of endemism and detected eight areas of endemism in southwestern Iran and near the Persian Gulf. Southern Iran is the main region where most species from Arabia came into Iran and were stopped in their dispersal. Two grids in southern and northeastern Iran were recognized as the areas with the highest density of species in the studied families. Lacertidae and Gekkonidae did not have a shared endemic species in the region (cells 59 and 60) but the area of endemism identified by PAE in the Persian Gulf region suggests that exchange between Iranian and Arabian herpetofauna was very high during interglacial periods. The distribution pattern of the endemic species of these families is concentrated in the region of the Alborz and the Zagros Mountains, but the single area of endemism in southern Iran has an important role in the historical biogeography of the Iranian herpetofauna. During interglacial periods, the Persian Gulf acted as a corridor between the herpetofauna of the two sides and this suggests the importance of this area of endemism for the Gekkonidae family. Also, the OGUs with the highest density of species are located around the country and, the lowest density is in the Central Plateau. PAE detected eight areas of endemism in southwestern Iran, but according to the number of species per units, two OGUs can be identified as high density in northeastern and southern Iran.

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This paper reports more than 400 original data on the Lebanese herpetofauna (covering 5 amphibians and 44 reptiles), deriving from museum collections and recent field observations. The most interesting data concern: (a) Cyrtopodion amictopholis, a species known only from Mt. Hermon, reported for the first time from Mt. Lebanon Range; (b) Lacerta fraasi, previously con- sidered endemic to the Mount Lebanon Range, also recorded from Antilebanon; (c) the occur- rence of Macrovipera lebetina is confirmed with certainty from two localities in the north. New records are given for many species known in Lebanon only on the basis of very few and often old reports.

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The amphibians and reptiles of Kazdağı in western Anatolia were investigated. In the study area, 190 specimens belonging to 34 species from 15 amphibian and reptile families were determined. Three of these species are urodelan, 5 are anurans, 2 are turtles, 1 is a tortoise, 12 are lizards, and 11 are snakes. Rana dalmatina Bonaparte, 1840, Anguis fragilis Linnaeus, 1758, and Podarcis sicula (Rafinesque, 1810) were recorded at Kazdağı for the first time.

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In this study, we aimed to determine the amphibian and reptile species distributed in Agri province (Turkey), as well the major factors threatening the species. For this purpose, we conducted 4 field excursions (20 days totally) at 223 different point, covering all the squares of 1:25.000 layout map. As a result of the literature and field survey, we recorded 4 anuran (Pseudepidalea variabilis, Pelophylax ridibundus, Rana camerani, R. macrocnemis), 2 chelonian (Mauremys caspica, Testudo graeca), 16 lizard (Paralaudakia caucasia, Phrynocephalus horvathi, Ablepharus bivittatus, Trachylepis aurata, Darevskia bendimahiensis, D. raddei, D. valentini, D. sapphirina, D. unisexualis, D. uzzelli, Eremias suphani, E. strauchi, E. pleskei, Lacerta media, Ophisops elegans, Parvilacerta parvd) and 14 snake (Typhlops vermicularis, Dolichophis jugularis, D. schmidti, Eirenis eiselti, E. modestus, E. collaris, Coronella austriaca, Hemorrhois ravergieri, Natrix natrix, N. tessellata, Platyceps najadum, Eryx jaculus, Montivipera wagneri, M raddei) species in Agri province, which is totally 4 amphibians and 32 reptiles. Three Anatolian endemic species (Darevskia sapphirina, Eirenis eiselti, Montivipera wagneri) and 7 species more was recorded in Agri as s first time in the literture. Taking into account the very limited herpetofaunal information available in the literature for Agri province, a significant contribution was made with this work. This study was conducted as a part of `The Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks National Biodiversity Inventory and Monitoring Project`.

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The life and work of the Alsatian Louis Amédée Lantz (1886-1953), a pioneer of European herpetology. A trained and professional research-chemist, the Alsatian Louis Amédée Lantz was an active and particularly dynamic herpetologist. His residence of nearly twelve years in Russia enabled him to make several field trips to regions such as the Caucasus and Iran. He always carried with him a home made telescopic net that he used to catch lizards. That net became symbolic of Lantz for most people around him. He realized significant herpetological collections mainly deposited in the Museum of the Zoology Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. Soon after the Russian Revolution in 1917, he had to leave the country and stayed for a few years in France before joining England. During this period, Lantz visited the French Pyrenees and the Mediterranean border (Hyeres Islands, Bandol), enabling him to discover for the first time oviparous populations of common lizard and also to describe a new species of lizard from the French Pyrenees. Lantz is also at the origin of the discovery of unisexual reproduction by parthenogenesis in reptiles. His collaboration with the Swedish amateur herpetologist Otto Cyrén, whom he met through the German herpetologist Willy Wolterstorff, was particularly successful throughout his career. Lantz died at the age of 66 years, in Switzerland, as he was about to join the team of herpetologists at the Natural History Museum in Paris.

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Several recent papers have reviewed the life and work of French herpetologist Louis Amédée Lantz. They have detailed the composition of his collections deposited in several museums. However, since then, several other important specimens from his collections deposited at the Natural History Museum (NHM, UK) have come to light and we here present all of them in detail. We discovered paralectotypes of Lacerta saxicola obscura Lantz & Cyrén (BMNH 1918.11.21.5–7), syntypes of Lacerta boemica Sukhov (BMNH 1960.1.4.26–30, BMNH 1965.337–342) and Lacerta viridis media Lantz & Cyrén (BMNH 1960.1.4.25, 1966.512). We also identified numerous specimens from the French Mediterranean islands in Lantz’s collection deposited at the NHM, some of which represent the first reported specimens of their species from certain islands. We here provide data on all these specimens. We also place the Mediterranean island specimens from the Lantz collection in their historical context and emphasize the historical and taxonomic value of these collections.

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The present study was carried out on the taxonomical status of Ophisops elegans obtained from the vicinity of Izmir and Afyon (Sandikh), in Turkey. The specimens obtained from the localities mentioned above were analysed in detail in terms of pholidosis, morphometrical measurements and related ratios, and colour/pattern characteristics. It was established that the populations of Izmir and Afyon are similar and Afyon material could be regarded as Ophisops elegans macrodactylus.

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Aim Isolation is a key factor in island biology. It is usually defined as the distance to the geographically nearest mainland, but many other definitions exist. We explored how testing different isolation indices affects the inference of impacts of isolation on faunal characteristics. We focused on land bridge islands and compared the relationships of many spatial and temporal (i.e., through time) isolation indices with community‐, population‐ and individual‐level characteristics (species richness, population density and body size, respectively). Location Aegean Sea islands, Greece. Time period Current. Taxon Many animal taxa. Methods We estimated 21 isolation indices for 205 islands and recorded species richness data for 15 taxa (invertebrates and vertebrates). We obtained body size data for seven lizard species and population density data for three. We explored how well indices predict each characteristic, in each taxon, by conducting a series of ordinary least squares regressions (controlling for island area when needed) and a meta‐analysis. Results Isolation was significantly (and negatively) associated with species richness in 10 of 15 taxa. It was significantly (and positively) associated with body size in only one of seven species and was not associated with population density. The effect of isolation on species richness was much weaker than that of island area, regardless of the index tested. Spatial indices generally out‐performed temporal indices, and indices directly related to the mainland out‐performed those related mainly to neighbouring islands. No index was universally superior to others, including the distance to the geographically nearest mainland. Main conclusions The choice of index can alter our perception of the impacts of isolation on biological patterns. The nearly automatic, ubiquitous use of distance to the geographically nearest mainland misrepresents the complexity of the effects of isolation. We recommend the simultaneous testing of several indices that represent different aspects of isolation, in order to produce more constructive and thorough investigations and avoid imprecise inference.

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Aim: Animal body sizes are often remarkably variable across islands, but despite much research we still have a poor understanding of both the patterns and the drivers of body size evolution. Theory predicts that interspecific competition and predation pressures are relaxed on small, remote islands, and that these conditions promote body size evolution. We studied body size variation across multiple insular populations of 16 reptile species co-occurring in the same archipelago and tested which island characteristics primarily drive body size evolution, the nature of the common patterns, and whether co-occurring species respond in a similar manner to insular conditions. Location: Aegean Sea islands. Time period: 1984–2016. Major taxa studied: Reptiles. Methods: We combined fieldwork, museum measurements and a comprehensive literature survey to collect data on nearly 10,000 individuals, representing eight lizard and eight snake species across 273 islands. We also quantified a large array of predictors to assess directly the effects of island area, isolation (both spatial and temporal), predation and interspecific competition on body size evolution. We used linear models and meta-analyses to determine which predictors are informative for all reptiles, for lizards and snakes separately, and for each species. Results: Body size varies with different predictors across the species we studied, and patterns differ within families and between lizards and snakes. Each predictor influenced body size in at least one species, but no general trend was recovered. As a group, lizards are hardly affected by any of the predictors we tested, whereas snake size generally increases with area and with competitor and predator richness, and decreases with isolation. Main conclusions: No factor emerges as a predominant driver of Aegean reptile sizes. This contradicts theories of general body size evolutionary trajectories on islands. We conclude that overarching generalizations oversimplify patterns and processes of reptile body size evolution on islands. Instead, species’ autecology and island particularities interact to drive the course of size evolution.

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Ophisops elegans, a Mediterranean lizard, is found abundantly on Psarà, a small, sparsely populated Greek island approximately 100 kilometers from Athens. In this study, whole specimens and tissue samples were collected from each of three populations, isolated form one another by both distance and geographical barriers. Using a PCR-based approach, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from the NDII genes of approximately thirty individuals was extracted for sequence analysis to determine population heterogeneity within and among populations. A positive correlation between geographic distance and genetic difference was hypothesized.

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Farwa island is considered as one of the biggest and most important island in Libya: it is located in the Mediterranean north western part of Libya, about 2 Km from the Abukamash coast, and it’s about 150 Km western of Tripoli. It has a suitable climatic condition and unique diverse habitats of extensive tidal area, sand dunes, trees, mud flat, marshes, drying salt lakes, and beaches. The mean annual temperature is 19ºC and the mean annual rainfall reaches 200 mm: these conditions provide a good habitat for many plant and animal species. The most common plant species at this area are: Eucalyptus gomphocephala, Retama retam, Phoenix dactylifera, Artemisia campestris, Thymelaea hirsuta, Juncus maritimus, Helicrysum stoechas, Tamarix aphylla, Ephedra alata, Citrullus colocynthis, Ziziphus lotus, Lycium europaeum. The most common mammal species seen in Farwa island are Lepus capensis, Vulpes vulpes, Ictonyx libycus, Hystrix cristata. There are many kinds of reptiles like lizards, snakes, and sea turtles. And also there are many kinds of arthropods like beetles, butterflies, moths, ants, bees, wasps, locusts, spiders and scorpions. Water birds form the most important fauna elements in Farwa island. This island is the most important area in Libya for many migratory birds, especially for the birds which are under world wide danger of extinction like Thalasseus bengalensis, Ichthyaetus audouinii, Phalacrocorax aristotelis, Aythya ferina, Numenius tenuirostris. There are many migratory bird species breeding at this island, the most common are Sternula albifrons, Hydroprogne caspia, Sterna hirundo, Tringa tetanus, Larus cachinnas, and Charadrius alexandrinus. Fawa Island provides many kinds of birds with proper conditions for nutrition, reproduction, sheltering and wintering, because of its different habitats and convenient climate condition.

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Little is known about altitudinal distribution of lizards in Iran. In the present study we studied distribution pattern of members of family Lacertidae along the eleveatinal gradient in Iran. To determine environmental drivers of distribution pattern of 48 lizard species, all known valid members of family Lacertidae, along elevational gradient in Iran. Firstly, we classified Iran digital elevation model (DEM) based on 100m intervals, that resulted in 56 altitudinal bands and number of species in each band was recorded. Secondly, we extracted mean value of following variables; altitude, slop, area, solar radiation index (SRI), normalized differences vegetation index (NDVI), annual precipitation, precipitation of wettest month, precipitation of driest month precipitation, precipitation of wettest quarter, precipitation of driest quarter, and precipitation of warmest quarter, and using VIF measure correlated variables were removed. Finally, we performed a multiple regression and found that area and precipitation of warmest quarter are the most important drivers of distribution pattern of family Lacertidae along elevational gradient in Iran. General distribution pattern of family Lacertidae was unimodal and maximum number of species living from 1475 m to 1675 m.

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In the study, the samples collected from Akşehir, Konya, Turkey and stored in the Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, ZDEU-COMU collection were used. Thirty lizards belonging to the family Lacertidae (Lacerta trilineata 5 juveniles, 5 ♂♂; Ophisops elegans 5 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Parvilacerta parva 5 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀) were evaluated. The age of the individuals was estimated after phalanges, femurs, and humeri samples were compared whether if there is any difference in terms of skeletochronological method. Among these species, the age is 2 years in 5 juvenile specimens of Lacerta trilineata and the ages of 5 males vary between 5 and 8. The age of male specimens of Parvilacerta parva vary between 4 and 6, and the age of females vary between 4 and 5. The age of male Ophisops elegans specimens vary between 4 and 6, and the age of females vary between 5 and 7. Similar ages were found in all three different bones that were sectioned and examined in all samples of all three species. Due to this similarity between the LAGs in the cross-sections of the bones, it is thought that phalanges could be used to determine ages without killing the specimens. In this way, the species that are already damaged due to human activities and changing environmental factors will be prevented from being adversely affected by these studies.

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The assessment of biodiversity by means that ignore the evolutionary relationships of the living forms can be quite misleading, resulting in the over-evaluation of some morphs and the ignorance of other evolutionary significant units. Molecular phylogeny, which is a potentially powerful tool for the conservation of biodiversity, provides essential evidence for setting conservation priorities on several taxa. Phylogenetic analyses can identify cryptic, genetically distinct lineages as well as non-distinctive lineages earlier perceived as separate taxa. The herpetofauna of the east Mediterranean region, which could be considered as one of nature’s most intensively active evolutionary laboratories, serves as an excellent example. Phylogenetic analyses on several lacertid taxa of this area have revealed cases of hidden diversity, paraphyly, new species and new endemics. In several cases the presence of cryptic species (Podarcis levendis, P. cretensis), species with very restricted distributions (P. gaigeae, P. milensis), paraphyletic (M. guttulta) or even polyphyletic species (O. elegans) were revealed. Such cases impose a considerable revision of the taxonomic views and conservation priorities. Based on these findings, many questions have been answered and certainly new ones have emerged, contributing not only to our knowledge on the east Mediterranean herpetofauna, but to broader issues of conservation biology, prioritizing conservation efforts and enhancing the need for a new multidisciplinary and innovative tool for screening and re-evaluating biodiversity.

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Mitochondrial DNA was used to analyze and study the population fidelity of Ophisops elegans across the different aspects of the landscape of Psara island. Genomic DNA was successfully extracted from tail pieces of the specimens using various protocols for DNA extraction from animal tissue. The product was amplified with PCR method using the primers ASNr-ND2f. Only seven samples were successfully amplified obtaining additional non specific products, and they were sequenced. The sequence reactions were not successful for undetermined reasons at this point.

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Fourteen species of reptiles were found on Lesbos Island. The species Ablepharus kitaibelii and Malpolon monspessulanus are recorded for the first time from the island. The localities and some morphometric characters of the caught specimens are noted. Finally, we attempt to combine our data and the bibliographical ones in a biogeographical approach to the fauna of the islands of the northeastern Aegean Archipelago.

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3 species of amphibians and 21 species of reptiles have been found in the basin of Köycegiz in southwest Anatolia. The species are listed with short descriptions of their occurrence. The rich herpetofauna emphasizes the need for a strict protection of the whole basin. The need for the conservation of regional herpetofaunas in Turkey is discussed.

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Amphibia and Reptilia collections at the Zoological Museum, University of Istanbul (ZMUI) were studied and revised. The samples were collected from 1921 until today. The localities of most species are found in the different regions of Turkey. The collection have 75 species of which 21 species are amphibians and 54 species are reptiles. With this study a zoological collection belong to ZMUI was given for the first time.

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Agriculture poses a threat upon wildlife worldwide and particularly to reptiles. However, the effects of many crop types on reptile diversity remain unknown. In this field study, we examined the local effects of two understudied common crop types in Mediterranean regions, intensively cultivated vineyards and intensified-traditional olive plantations, on reptile diversity patterns. We compared measurements of diversity among an array of study plots representing each crop as well as plots in adjacent patches of natural habitat. We developed a new index, the Average Specialization Index, in order to compare the degree of habitat-specialization of the species in the different habitats. Among the habitat types examined, the natural patches were the most structurally heterogeneous and contained the greatest species richness and diversity. In contrast, the intensive vineyards were structurally homogeneous and were uninhabitable areas for reptiles. The more-traditionally cultivated olive plantations were intermediately heterogeneous and provided a unique habitat occupied by a community with a high proportion of reptile species considered to be habitat specialists. Despite showing high abundance and eveness, the reptile community within the olive plantations still contained a lower species richness and diversity compared to natural patches. In light of our results, we recommend implementing a more wildlife-friendly management strategy in landscapes converted to agricultural cultivation.

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Geographic position and different climate features of our country is the most important reason of the richness and variety of the fauna of Turkey. Significant zoogeographic importance of this region has been stressed by recent studies on Turkey’s herpetofauna. In this study, 4 species anurans, 1 species turtle, 1species tortoise, 10 species lizards, 10 species snakes, have been collected from this region and there specimens were studied morphologically. Ecological and biological features of these species have been reported. In this research, the vicinity of Lake Bafa was studied with it’s herpetofauna firstly and it’s different features. As a result of this research, it was determined the area is one of the important watery areas of our country for it’s touristic construction, ancient town features, and biologic features such as having rich fauna and flora. The vicinity of Lake Bafa is one of the rare ecosystems, which is open to danger, having importance scientificly and education aly, and it should be presented with it’s biological diversity. While these were shown in the research, it’s diversity, field construction, ancient features, appropriate climate and touristic importance was stated, and the importance of protection of this area was tried to explain

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During recent years several lizard taxa were added to the faunal list of Pakistan. Descriptions and new records are scattered in different publications in the herpetological literature. The present paper puts the information together, and provides a comprehensive list of recent publications on the lizards of Pakistan.

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Materials and methods. Observations of Amphibians and Reptiles were carried out during two tourist trips in March 2016 and in May 2018 in the Iranian provinces of Gilan and Ardebil.
Results. New data on the distribution of 6 species of Amphibians (Bufo eichwaldi, Bufotes variabilis, Hyla orientalis, H. savignyi, Pelophylax ridibundus, Rana pseudodalmatina) and 21 species of Reptiles (Emys orbicularis, Paralaudakia caucasia, Trapelus ruderatus, Darevskia chlorogaster, D. defilippii, D. raddei, Eremias strauchi, Iranolacerta brandtii, Lacerta strigata, Ophisops elegans, Ablepharus bivittatus, Heremites auratus, Pseudopus apodus, Eryx jaculus, Eirenis punctatolineatus, Hemorrhois ravergieri, Platyceps najadum, Telescopus fallax, Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Natrix natrix, N. tessellata) in the study area were obtained. The author compares the obtained data with the results of other Herpetological researches in the region.
Conclusions. In general, the herpetofauna of the Caspian slopes of the Talysh Range in Iran is an inseparable part of mesophilic herpetocomplexes with the prevalence of gyrcan elements common from the north-western foothills of Talysh in Azerbaijan to the Western Kopetdag in Turkmenistan.

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In this study, the fish, amphibian and reptile fauna of Karatas Lake were investigated between October-2002 and May 2004. In the research area, totally 15 species belong to 9 families from the studied groups were determined. According to the species richness; 4 fish, 2 amphibians and 9 reptiles were determined and given as a list. All of the frog and reptil species and one fish species, Carassius carassius, are reported for the first time from the research area.

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Oxymonads are a group of flagellate protists living in low oxygen environments - mainly the guts of insects and vertebrates. In this study, we focus on the analysis of ploidy and karyotype of various species of oxymonads using Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) with probes against single copy genes and telomeric repeats as well as estimating the DNA content in the nuclei of these oxymonads using flow cytometry. Using specific FISH probes against SufDSU gene, which is present in a single copy in the haploid genome, we showed that all studied strains are probably haploid. From the genome of Monocercomonoides exilis strain PA203 we know that oxymonads have the ancestral type of telomeric repeat (TTAGGG). Using a probe against these repeats we tried to label chromosome ends and estimate the number of chromosomes for seven strains (five species) of Monocercomonoides. With a single exception, the average number of signals per nucleus was below 20 indicating number of chromosomes below 10. In the strains of M. mercovicensis, we observed much higher number of signals suggesting that the cells have much higher number of chromosomes. Finally, we established the DNA content for several strains using flow cytometry. We used as a standard M. exilis strain PA203 knowing that the haploid genome size is approximately 82Mbp. Results indicate that most of the strains have genomes smaller or similar to M. exilis except for M. mercovicensis, whose genome size is almost 130Mbp.

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There is a lack of information for potential winter activity of the snake-eyed lizard Ophisops elegans in Europe, where it has a limited distribution. To test the hypothesis that this species can be active during the winter months, two locations in Bulgaria were chosen. The visits were conducted in January, February and December 2022 near the village of Meden Buk and in December 2022 above the village of Mezek. A total of 19 individuals of O. elegans were recorded. In addition, we confirmed foraging behaviour based on faecal sample collection. To our knowledge, this is the northernmost record of winter activity in the snake-eyed lizard and the first consecutive observation of year-round activity for this species in Europe.

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The concept of National responsibility species (NRS) was developed to coordinate the conservation efforts of species occurring in multiple countries. Calculated as the fraction of the global species` distribution within a country, it measures the contribution of a local population to global survival of the species. However, there may be more co-occurring species in one region than another, making the conservation of a species more cost-efficient in the first than the latter. If cost-efficient resource allocation is the goal, then identifying NRS should also be based on spatial priorities. We propose that a species is considered NRS when a large part of its distribution falls within high priority areas in a country. We identify NRS from spatial conservation prioritization outputs to (1) maximize the overall cost-efficiency of allocation of conservation resources and (2) to provide information about which species the spatial priorities are based on. We analyzed data on vertebrates in the Birds and Habitats directives in the EU28 countries and compared the traditional NRS measure to three alternative strategies. While the majority of species maintained their NRS status in most countries regardless of the approach, differences occurred, with varying numbers and identities of responsibility species in a country, or responsibilities for species shifting between countries. The differences were largest in geographically marginal countries and for species that were distributed across a few countries. Other NRS approaches may also be useful, and the choice of approach should ultimately depend on the purpose and complement information on conservation status in decision-making.

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An overview of the cases of introduction (both accidental and intentional) of amphibians and reptiles in the Caucasus and Crimea is provided. The introduction cases are systemized in accordance with the goals and ways of introduction and with regards to the expected scale of the impact and its nature. No negative consequences of the introduction of amphibian and reptile species in the Crimea and Caucasus are currently observed on any of the known examples. No cases of species naturalization, which the “invasion” term can be applied to, have been revealed. The importance of allochthonous populations as experimental sites to study microevolutionary processes and ecological adaptations of the species in new environmental conditions is discussed.

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In this study, amphibian and reptile species distributed in the vicinity of Kaş and Kekova Islands were recorded. A total of 20 different species were recorded. Of these species, in an urodelan, three are anurans, one is a tortoise, 10 are lizards and six are snakes.

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Turkey has very high biodiversity, due to its various topographical, geological, and climatic features. Although previous studies have dealt with amphibians and reptiles from Karabük province no detailed study has yet been conducted on the herpetofauna of Karabük province. Here, we provide some records for herpetofauna of Karabük province and contribute to the literature on the Turkish herpetofauna. This study was carried out from March to June 2014. The specimens of amphibians and reptiles were collected using different techniques according to habitat conditions. The systematics of the examined materials was studied using current literature. Also, the conservation status of the species was given with national and international agreements in which Turkey is included. Result of the fieldwork conducted in Karabük province, 17 reptile species (two turtles, one tortoise, seven lizards, and seven snakes) and seven amphibian species (one urodelans, six anurans) were determined. According to our results, Parvilacerta parva, Lacerta viridis, Zamenis longissimus, Coronella austriaca and Elaphe sauromates are new records for Karabük province. This study underlines the importance of Karabük province as a herpetological area.

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he chromosomes of eight lacertid species were studied by standard and banding techniques (C- and NOR-banding, telomeric sequences) and chromosomal interlocation during mitosis and meiosis was investigated. The data obtained are discussed in the light of modern ideas of the interrelation between DNA changes, karyotype evolution, and speciation. The assumption is voiced on the optimal number of arms and, consequently, the “optimal” number of functional telomeres in the Lacertidae, which in its turn may be associated with the structure of the nucleus and with canalization of the genome as a whole.

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Turkey is biogeographically diverse and consequently has a rich herpetofauna. As a result of active herpetological research, the number of species has steadily increased in recent years. I present here a new checklist of amphibian and reptile species distributed in Turkey, revising the nomenclature to reflect the latest taxonomic knowledge. In addition, information about the systematics of many species is also given. In total 35 (19.4%) amphibian and 145 (80.6%) reptile species comprise the Turkish herpetofauna. Among amphibians, 16 (45.7%) anurans and 19 urodelans (54.3%) are present. Among reptiles, 11 (7.6%) testudines, 71 (49%) saurians, 3 (2.1%) amphisbaenians and 60 (41.3%) ophidians are considered part of the herpetofauna. The endemism rate in Turkey is considered relatively high with a total of 34 species (12 amphibian species – 34.3% and 22 reptile species – 15.2%) endemic to Turkey, yielding a total herpetofaunal endemism of 18.9%. While 38 species have not been threat-assessed by the IUCN, 92 of the 180 Turkish herpetofaunal species are of Least Concern (LC), 13 are Near Threatened (NT), 10 are Vulnerable (VU), 14 are Endangered (EN), and 7 are Critically Endangered (CR). In addition, 6 species are in the DD (Data Deficient) category.

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The snake-eyed lizards of the genus Ophisops (Lacertidae) have been through a series of taxonomical revisions, but still their phylogenetic relationships remain uncertain. In the present study we estimate the phylogeographic structure of O. elegans across its distributional range and we evaluate the relationships between O. elegans and the sympatric, in North Africa, species O. occidentalis, using partial mtDNA sequences (16S rRNA, COI, and cyt b). All phylogenetic analyses produced topologically identical trees where extant populations of O. elegans and O. occidentalis were found polyphyletic. Taking into account all the potential causes of polyphyly (introgressive hybridization, incomplete lineage sorting, and imperfect taxonomy) we suggest the inaccurate taxonomy as the most likely explanation for the observed pattern. Our results stress the need for re-evaluation of the current taxonomical status of these species and their subspecies. Furthermore, our biogeographic analyses and the estimated time of divergences suggest a late Miocene diversification within these species, where the present distribution of O. elegans and O. occidentalis was the result of several dispersal and vicariant events, which are associated with climatic oscillations (the late Miocene aridification of Asia and northern Africa) and paleogeographic barriers of late Miocene and Pliocene period.

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Aim To map and assess the richness patterns of reptiles (and included groups: amphisbaenians, crocodiles, lizards, snakes and turtles) in Africa, quantify the overlap in species richness of reptiles (and included groups) with the other terrestrial vertebrate classes, investigate the environmental correlates underlying these patterns, and evaluate the role of range size on richness patterns. Location Africa. Methods We assembled a data set of distributions of all African reptile species. We tested the spatial congruence of reptile richness with that of amphibians, birds and mammals. We further tested the relative importance of temperature, precipitation, elevation range and net primary productivity for species richness over two spatial scales (ecoregions and 1° grids). We arranged reptile and vertebrate groups into range-size quartiles in order to evaluate the role of range size in producing richness patterns. Results Reptile, amphibian, bird and mammal richness are largely congruent (r = 0.79–0.86) and respond similarly to environmental variables (mainly productivity and precipitation). Ecoregion size accounts for more variation in the richness of reptiles than in that of other groups. Lizard distributions are distinct with several areas of high species richness where other vertebrate groups (including snakes) are species-poor, especially in arid ecoregions. Habitat heterogeneity is the best predictor of narrow-ranging species, but remains relatively important in explaining lizard richness even for species with large range sizes. Main conclusions Reptile richness varies with similar environmental variables as the other vertebrates in Africa, reflecting the disproportionate influence of snakes on reptile richness, a result of their large ranges. Richness gradients of narrow-ranged vertebrates differ from those of widespread taxa, which may demonstrate different centres of endemism for reptile subclades in Africa. Lizard richness varies mostly with habitat heterogeneity independent of range size, which suggests that the difference in response of lizards is due to their ecological characteristics. These results, over two spatial scales and multiple range-size quartiles, allow us to reliably interpret the influence of environmental variables on patterns of reptile richness and congruency.

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Anhand der Ergebnisse einer Sammelreise des Natural History Museum of Crete (NHMC) im April 1999 werden neue Ergebnisse zur Herpetofauna Syriens vorgestellt. Wir sammelten an 30 Lokalitäten insgesamt 391 Exemplare in 43 Arten. Die Ergebnisse erweitern unser Wissen über die Verbreitung mehrerer Arten. Die systematische Stellung von vier Arten (Rana bedriagae, Ptyodactylus sp., Lacerta kultzeri, Mabuya aurata) wird im Lichte neuerer Revisionen der syrischen Herpetofauna diskutiert.

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OPHISOPS ELEGANS IN THE TERRARIUM Ophisops elegans, a small species from arid regions in S.E. Europe and adjacent territories in western Asia, is kept successfully in a terrari- um. Two males and one female from Israel are kept in a 70 X 40 X 40 em vivarium. During summer the female laid three clutches of two eggs. One of the eggs produced a healthy young. The activity cycle during the year is given. A great difference between day and night tempe- rature is probably essential.

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The checklist is based primarily on extensive collections made by the United States Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3 (NAMRU-3) in Egypt. Forms listed are those that are known or expected to occur in Egypt (including Sinai), and those that have been reported from Egypt without further verification. The systematic lists contain original citations, references to major faunal works, and the most recent reviews of each particular group. From the 3.424 specimens obtained, adequate distributional data are now available for most forms in Egypt. Maps showing collecting localities for each species are also presented for use in future sympatric and ecological studies.

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The albumins from 41 species of the family Lacertidae representing a substantial part of genera as well as infrageneric groups of the collective genus Lacerta s.l. were investigated by means of the MCF technique. The data allow a chronological estimation of the most important radiation events and their correlation with paleogeographical facts. Our results are in remarkable contradiction to the phylogeny presented by ARNOLD (1989a) based mainly on morphological characters. The most important phylogenetic relationships are: 1. The genera Gallona and Psammodromus are already isolated from the other taxa since the Oligocene. We assess these main branches as subfamilies Gallotiinae and Lacertinae. 2. Lacerta s.str. and Lacerta subgenus Zootoca form the sister group of the remaining Lacertinae. 3. A colonization of Africa in the Lower Miocene has led to a separation in two lines, with mainly Eurasian and African members respectively. 4. ARNOLD`S (I.e.) `Ethiopian and advanced Saharo-Eurasian clade` proved to be a paraphyletic unit, one group of genera being more closely related to European taxa. All techniques applied to the systematics of Lacertidae hitherto are critically discussed. An area-time- hypothesis concerning the phylogeny of Lacertidae is presented. Key words: Lacertidae, phylogeny of; Gallotiinae subfam. nov.; Lacertinae subfam. nov.; micro complement fixation; albumin evolution.

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The family Lacertidae encompasses more than 250 species distributed in the Palearctis, Ethiopis and Orientalis. Lacertids have been subjected in the past to several morphological and molecular studies to establish their phylogeny. However, the problems of convergent adaptation in morphology and of excessively variable molecular markers have hampered the establishment of well supported deeper phylogenetic relationships. Particularly the adaptations to xeric environments have often been used to establish a scenario for the origin and radiation of major lineages within lacertids. Here we present a molecular phylogenetic study based on two nuclear marker genes and representatives of 37 lacertid genera and distinct species groups (as in the case of the collective genus Lacerta). Roughly 1600 bp of the nuclear rag1 and c-mos genes were sequenced and analyzed. While the results provide good support to the hitherto suggested main subfamilies of Gallotiinae (Gallotia and Psammodromus), Eremiainae and Lacertinae [Harris, D.J., Arnold, E.N., Thomas, R.H., 1998. Relationships of lacertid lizards (Reptilia: Lacertidae) estimated from mitochondrial DNA sequences and morphology. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 265, 1939–1948], they also suggest unexpected relationships. In particular, the oriental genus Takydromus, previously considered the sister-group to the three subfamilies, is nested within Lacertinae. Moreover, the genera within the Eremiainae are further divided into two groups, roughly corresponding to their respective geographical distributions in the Ethiopian and the Saharo-Eurasian ranges. The results support an independent origin of adaptations to xeric conditions in different subfamilies. The relationships within the subfamily Lacertinae could not be resolved with the markers used. The species groups of the collective genus Lacerta show a bush-like topology in the inferred Bayesian tree, suggesting rapid radiation. The composition of the subfamilies Eremiainae and Lacertinae as well as their phylogeography are discussed.

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The paper describes the history of biogeographic views on the herpetofauna of both Dagestan and the Caucasus as a whole. The species are grouped into eight zoogeographic groups on the basis of our de- tailed chorological analysis. Mesophilous and xerophilous refuges of the Dagestan herpetofauna are de- scribed. Our herpeto-geographical subdivision of the territory is given. The territory of Dagestan is lo- cated in the Palaearctic subkingdom of Holarctic kingdom and divided between two areas, namely, the Turanian and Mediterranean ones. The boundary between the regions is the junction of the northern foot- hills and plains of the Eastern Caucasus. A possible reconstruction of the regional herpetofauna genesis is considered.

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The collection of Amphibians and Reptiles of the Museum of Natural History of Ferrara has characteristics of historical representation, taxonomic and zoogeography that may be considered as examples of medium-sized types of collections more preva- lent in Italian museums. It consists of a historic part of the study and a donation from Guido Campadelli. The collection consists of 1739 specimens of amphibians (1734 of which held in 437 containers with ethanol and 5 taxidermized specimens) for a total of 78 amphibian species. There are 811 specimens of Reptiles (769 of which are stored in 526 containers with ethanol and 42 taxidermized specimens) representing a total of 108 species. The findings that form the collection of Amphibians come from 153 loca- lities of 15 states and 12 regions and 29 provinces of Italy. In the batrachological col- lection 62.1% of the total European species, and 94.3% of the total species in Italy, are represented. Zoogeographic regions most represented are the Palaearctic with 67% of the species of Amphibians in the collection and the Neotropical with 29%, fol- lowed by the Ethiopian (6%) and Nearctic (5%). Reptiles specimens come from 247 lo- calities of 15 states and 15 regions and 36 provinces of Italy. In the collection 46,2% of European species and 91,5% of the Italian ones are represented. The most represen- ted zoogeographic region are the Palaearctic with 89% of species in the collection, followed by the Ethiopian (14%), the Eastern (13%), Neotropical (11%) and the Nearctic (7%); australian and malagasy species do not exceed 3%. The herpetology collection was the subject of taxonomic and biogeographic analysis.

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Aim Body size is instrumental in influencing animal physiology, morphology, ecology and evolution, as well as extinction risk. I examine several hypotheses regarding the influence of body size on lizard evolution and extinction risk, assessing whether body size influences, or is influenced by, species richness, herbivory, island dwelling and extinction risk. Location World-wide. Methods I used literature data and measurements of museum and live specimens to estimate lizard body size distributions. Results I obtained body size data for 99% of the world`s lizard species. The body size–frequency distribution is highly modal and right skewed and similar distributions characterize most lizard families and lizard assemblages across biogeographical realms. There is a strong negative correlation between mean body size within families and species richness. Herbivorous lizards are larger than omnivorous and carnivorous ones, and aquatic lizards are larger than non-aquatic species. Diurnal activity is associated with small body size. Insular lizards tend towards both extremes of the size spectrum. Extinction risk increases with body size of species for which risk has been assessed. Main conclusions Small size seems to promote fast diversification of disparate body plans. The absence of mammalian predators allows insular lizards to attain larger body sizes by means of release from predation and allows them to evolve into the top predator niche. Island living also promotes a high frequency of herbivory, which is also associated with large size. Aquatic and nocturnal lizards probably evolve large size because of thermal constraints. The association between large size and high extinction risk, however, probably reflects a bias in the species in which risk has been studied.

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Aim Temperature influences most components of animal ecology and life history – but what kind of temperature? Physiologists usually examine the influence of body temperatures, while biogeographers and macroecologists tend to focus on environmental temperatures. We aim to examine the relationship between these two measures, to determine the factors that affect lizard body temperatures and to test the effect of both temperature measures on lizard life history. Location World-wide. Methods We used a large (861 species) global dataset of lizard body temperatures, and the mean annual temperatures across their geographic ranges to examine the relationships between body and mean annual temperatures.We then examined factors influencing body temperatures, and tested for the influence of both on ecological and life-history traits while accounting for the influence of shared ancestry. Results Body temperatures and mean annual temperatures are uncorrelated. However, accounting for activity time (nocturnal species have low body temperatures), use of space (fossorial and semi-aquatic species are ‘colder’), insularity (mainland species are ‘hotter’) and phylogeny, the two temperatures are positively correlated. High body temperatures are only associated with larger hatchlings and increased rates of biomass production. Annual temperatures are positively correlated with clutch frequency and annual longevity, and negatively correlated with clutch size, age at first reproduction and longevity. Main conclusions Lizards with low body temperatures do not seem to have ‘slower’ life-history attributes than species with high body temperatures. The longer seasons prevalent in warm regions, and physiological processes that operate while lizards are inactive (but warm enough), make environmental temperatures better predictors of lizard life-history variation than body temperatures. This surprisingly greater effect of environmental temperatures on lizard life histories hints that global warming may have a profound influence on lizard ecology and evolution.

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Faunal lists are important tools in ecology, biogeography, and conservation planning. Such lists can identify gaps in our knowledge of the distribution and taxonomy of regional faunas, and highlight issues needing further study. We present an up to date list of all land vertebrates occurring in Israel. We identify 786 species, of which 551 are birds, 130 are mammals, 97 are reptiles and eight are amphibians. Of these 369 species breed in Israel (including reintroductions), 199 (mostly birds) are regular visitors and 182 are accidental. Fourteen other species are invasive, and 22 species are extinct. We identify issues with the taxonomy and status of several species, and note recent developments in our understanding the Israeli land vertebrate fauna.

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Reptiles are key components of Mediterranean ecosystems. Climate change, forest management practices, agricultural activity, land degradation and forest fragmentation represent the greatest threats to reptiles. Therefore, efficient tools are necessary for monitoring these vulnerable species. Habitat suita- bility maps have been found to be valuable tools for the monitoring of reptilian species and conservation, particularly across broad landscapes. This study was undertaken to determine the relations between two species of lizard, (Agamidae) and (Lacertidae) and environmental variables in the Isparta-Sütçüler district (Turkey). Habitat suitability maps were then produced. The re- lationship between the two species and 21 environ- mental variables were analyzed using MaxEnt and mapped with ArcGIS. The study showed that bed- rock, annual precipitation, slope, ruggedness, stream density, topographic position index, land cover/use classes and altitude are predictor variables for mod- elling . The environmental factors that create the optimum habitat suitability model for were bedrock, annual precipita- tion, slope, ruggedness, landform index, land cover/use classes and stream density. In conclusion, we found that environmental variables and geo- graphic information systems can successfully be used to generate habitat suitability maps for and .

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Immune defenses are of great benefit to hosts, but reducing the impact of infection by mounting an immune response also entails costs. However, the physiological mechanisms that generate the costs of an immune response remain poorly understood. Moreover, the majority of studies investigating the consequences of an immune challenge in vertebrates have been conducted on mammals and birds. The aim of this study is to investigate the physiological costs of mounting an immune response during gestation in an ectothermic species. Indeed, because ectothermic species are unable to internally regulate their body temperature, the apportionment of resources to homeostatic activities in ectothermic species can differ from that in endothermic species. We conducted this study on the common lizard Zootoca vivipara. We investigated the costs of mounting an immune response by injecting females with sheep red blood cells and quantified the consequences to reproductive performance (litter mass and success) and physiological performance (standard metabolic rate, endurance, and phytohemagglutinin response). In addition, we measured basking behavior. Our analyses revealed that mounting an immune response affected litter mass, physiological performance, and basking behavior. Moreover, we demonstrated that the modulation of an immune challenge is impacted by intrinsic factors, such as body size and condition.

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This study aimed to check the erythrocyte and nucleus sizes of six species of reptiles, one species of Agamidae (Laudakia stellio), one species of Testudinidae (Testudo graeca), one species of Chamaeleonidae (Chamaeleo chamaeleon recticrista), and three species of Lacertidae (Ophisops elegans, Lacerta media, Phoenicolacerta laevis) from Coastal region in Syria using blood smears stained with Wright’s stain. The longest, widest and largest erythrocytes and the widest nuclei were found in T. graeca. The shortest and narrowest erythrocytes and nuclei were found in O. elegans. The longest, largest nuclei were found in C. chameleon. The shortest and narrowest nuclei were found in P. laevis.

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The current study explores the diversity patterns of the lizard species assembly found on the Me- diterranean island of Cyprus with the broader aim of providing guidelines for the conservation management of these types of Mediterranean species communities. We sampled lizards in eight quadrats of 10 ha each, located in the Xeros Potamos protected area (SW Cyprus), and recorded 16 environmental parameters for each quadrat. We identified eight lizard species, five of which are protected under European legislation (Ablepharus budaki,Chalcides ocellatus,Laudakia stel- lio, Mediodactylus kotschyi, Ophisops elegans), and one that is listed as endangered (Acanthoda- ctylus schreiberi) based on IUCN assessments. The microhabitats used by the resident lizard com- munity in the study area were defined best by substrate, bush cover, humidity, altitude and incli- nation (RDA). Traditionally cultivated land with hedges harbored the highest lizard diversity. The typical habitat for the endangered species A. schreiberi consisted of humid sandy river banks with bush cover, a habitat currently threatened by the Xeros Potamos River channelization. Im- mediate action should involve the establishment of a control mechanism for the protection of the sandy riverbeds from illegal deposit of construction debris, the removal of embankments, and the sustainable use of water so as to maintain the natural flow regimes of the river.

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The etymology of the reptiles, especially the lizards of Iran has not been completely presented in other published works. Iran is a very active geographic area for any animals, and more especially for lizards, due to its wide range deserts and ecology. We have attempted to ascertain, as much as possible, the construction of the Latin binomials of all Iranian lizard species. We believe that a review of these names is instructive, not only in codifying many aspects of the biology of the lizards, but in presenting a historical overview of collectors and taxonomic work in Iran and Middle East region. We have listed all recorded lizards of Iran according to the order of the scientific names in the book of Anderson, The Lizards of Iran. All lizard species and types have been grouped under their proper Families, and then they have been alphabetically ordered based on their scientific binominal nomenclature. We also examined numerous published works in addition to those included in the original papers presenting each binomial.

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Jordan has a very diversified morphology, which is reflected also in the diversity of its herpetofauna. A total 90 amphibian and reptilian species is known to inhabit Jordan. Of those three are amphibians, with the fourth species most probably already extinct, 47 are lizard species, 35 are snake species and five turtle species. The amphibians are represented by three different families, lizards and snakes both by seven families and turtles by four families. The distribution, ecology and systematics for most species are given.

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There are five terrestrial biomes found in Palearctic realm of Iraq: Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests; Temperate grasslands, Savanas and shrublands; Flooded grasslands and Savannas; Mediterranean forests, woodlands and scrub; deserts and xeric shrublands. The presence of these ecozones resulted in a considerable heterogeneity of the herpetofauna of Iraq. With considering lizards fauna, we collected 400 lizard specimens that classified into 18 species, 11genera and five families, were distributed throughout central and southern Iraq and their zoogeographical affinities about: 44.44% Palearictic, 33.33% Arabian and 22.22% Saharo-Sindian.

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Revealing cryptic diversity constitutes the backbone of the future identification and description of a new lineage. For the genus Ophisops (Lacertidae), previous studies indicated that this genus is characterized by cryptic diversity as three clades were obtained for O. elegans and O. occidentalis that do not fit the classical systematics. Notably, we were interested to delineate the distribution range of the two clades of O. elegans described in Iran. We sequenced 65 individuals of Ophisops mainly from northwestern Iran for one mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 [COI]; 686 base pairs [bp]) and three nuclear genes (R35, MC1R, and PKM2; 1,857 bp). Phylogeographic analysis from mitochondrial and nuclear genes confirmed that Iranian samples belong to two major haplogroups (divergence of 13% for COI) that are also split into several subclades (divergence of 6%–10% for COI), revealing an unsuspected diversity within Iranian Ophisops. Divergence dating and biogeographi- cal analysis indicated that most clades arose through vicariance and dispersal pro- cesses during the Mio-Pliocene (between 7.2 and 1 Myr). However, a scenario of expansion/regression is also advocated for explaining the distribution and contact between three subclades in North Iran. We propose to recognize the three major clades as three potential candidate species. Moreover, we found some correspond- ence between several phylogenetic clades or subclades identified and six of the nine subspecies described for O. elegans. Both species and subspecies delimitation and identification would deserve additional investigations (including morphology, ecol- ogy, biogeography, and behavior) to fulfill the conditions of integrative taxonomy.

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New data on the distribution and taxonomy of four Syrian reptile species are presented. Ophisops elegans blanfordi and Eirenis barani are recorded from Syria for the first time. The presence of Mabuya aurata septemtaeniata in Syria is confirmed and the possible occurrence of Ophisops elegans centralanatoliae in Syria is discussed. The examination of the subspecific identity of the Syrian populations of Cyrtopodion kotschyi has shown that the diagnostic characters available for C. k. syriacus and C. k. orientalis do not provide a sufficient key for distinguishing between these two Levantine subspecies.

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Presented is a comprehensive overview of data on the herpetological species occurring in the Ararat region of Turkey. A total of 41 species, including their first records, published historical localities, and respective sources, are recorded in this assessment of surprisingly high regional species richness.

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During a four week journey to Jordan in summer of 1994 the following five species of the lizard family Lacertidae were observed: Acanthodactylus boskianus asper, A. opheodurus, A. schmidti, Ophisops elegans ehrenbergii, and Lacerta cf. kulzeri.

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During a journey to Jordan in July/August 1994, 19 species of amphibians and reptiles were recorded. Some ecological observations were made in their habitats. The find of giant tadpoles of Rana ridibunda and the problematic, unclear systematic status of Ophisops elegans ehrenbergi in Jordan are emphasized

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60 species of reptiles live in the Azerbaijan Republic. From them 17 species, or 28.3% are spread on Absheron Peninsula. These species belong to 3 orders, 13 families, 22 genera. Lizards are reptiles belonging to the order Squamata. On Absheron peninsula lizards inhabit a wide variety of biotopes, from garden habitats to sand dunes. Most species of Absheron are diurnal, but Caspian bent-toed geckos comprise a night time fauna in many habitats. Many species, can shed their tails in order to escape from predators. Lizards have many morphological adaptations that suit them to the substrates they inhabit, from specialized toe-pads in vertical rock-face dwellers to fringed-toes in loose-sand runners. Modern scientific study of lizards in Absheron began with the field natural history studies of E.P. Menetriem and E.E. Eichwald in the 19th century.

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We studied the female reproductive cycle of a population of Ophisops elegans lizard from the herpetology collection of the Natural History Museum of the Lebanese University. Females collected during spring and summer showed vitellogenesis in their ovaries with oviposition occurring from May to July followed by a subsequent quiescent period. They produced up to two clutches. Mean clutch size was 3.2 ± 1, range 2-5 eggs. Clutch size was independent of female body size. The smallest female attaining sexual maturity had a snout vent length of 45 mm. Sexual maturity can be attained within one year of age. We found no significant difference in body size between female and male adult lizards. Seasonal variations in the reproductive activity of females were well synchronized with those of males.

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The Italian wall lizard, Podarcis siculus, with a native distribution in the Italian Peninsula, Sicily and the north Adriatic coast appears to be an efficient colonizer with several established introduced populations outside its range. In this study we report morphological and other characteristics of the recently located colony in Athens, the first known in Greece. The study was carried out using animals that were collected in three different attempts to remove the introduced species from the wild (October 2014, April and May 2015). Five meristic and seven metric characters were recorded for 32 adult males and 57 adult females. Mean body size (SVL) for males was 64.69 mm (n = 32, range: 51- 82 mm) and for females 60.58 mm (n = 57, range: 46-75 mm). There was a clear sexual dimorphism in the population; males had significantly longer, wider and taller heads than females, bigger body size and longer legs. Concerning the reproductive traits of the population we found that clutch size ranged from 4 to 11 eggs with a mean of 6 eggs. Maximum length for oviductal eggs (n = 121) was 13.1 mm and maximum width 8.3 mm. Larger females had bigger clutches, but no other significant relation was found between the parameters studied. In the diet of the population we recorded a constant presence of plant parts: 68% of the examined stomachs in the October sample, 73% in April and 90% in the May sample. As for the invertebrate prey, Hymenoptera (winged ants) predominated in the October diet (present in the 82% of the stomachs) while Isopoda (42%), Hymenoptera (42%) and Coleoptera (32%) during May. Sand was also present in 21%, 31% and 81% of the stomachs in October, April and May respectively. Our results were discussed with respect to other populations of P. siculus primarily in its native range.

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We studied the male reproductive cycle in a population of Ophisops elegans from Mount Sannine, Lebanon, by histological analysis. Testicular histology showed active spermatogenesis in spring, followed by a testicular regression at the end of summer and a subsequent recrudescence in autumn. Monthly variations in the epididymis, the ductus deferens and the sexual segment of the kidney were in synchrony with the testicular cycle. They were hypertrophied as spermatogenetic activity increased and atrophied as spermatogenetic activity decreased. Males of O. elegans showed a vernal type of spermatogenesis with a close relationship between the evolution of the seminiferous tubules and the secondary sexual characters.

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Seventeen species of reptiles and one species of amphibians have so far been reported from the Kavir Protected Region in the Kavir desert of Iran. These are Agamura per- sica, Agama a. agilis, Phrynocephalus scutellatus, Phrynocephalus maculatus, Varanus griseus caspius, Eremias andersoni, Eremias persica, Mesalina guttulata watsonana, Eumeces schneiderii princeps, Ophiomorus nuchalis, Coluber k. karelini, Coluber rho- dorhachis ladacensis, Psammophis schokari, Spalerosophis diadema schirazianus, Echis carinatus, Pseudocerastes p. persicus and Bufo kavirensis. A species of Uromastyx, probably U. asmussi, is also registrated from the area. Agama b. blanfordi, Phryno- cephalus helioscopus persicus and Ophisops e. elegans are reported from areas south and west of the Kavir Protected Region but might as weil occur inside it. Some taxo- nomic questions are discussed and data concerning habits and distribution are presented.

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The global struggle to conserve as many species as possible with limited resources requires an improvement of our knowledge on the distribution of biodiversity. In Iran, the state of knowledge is poor for most groups of organisms, except few vertebrate groups and vascular plants. Reptiles are one of the best known, most diverse vertebrate groups in Iran, with a high rate of endemism (ca. 29%), but distribution patterns and related environmental drivers remain poorly understood. In the present study, based on a large publicly available dataset, we use general additive modelling (GAM) to identify explanatory variables for species richness of reptiles in Iran. Results indicate heterogeneity parameters (range +entropy) as the variables with the highest explanatory values. Based on the grid cells of the predicted environmental richness, using hotspot analysis, we suggest seven hotspots of reptile diversity (HRDs) across the country. Our results corroborate the previously recognized HRDs and detect three additional ones, located alongside the major mountain ranges around the central deserts plateau, particularly in the Zagros Mountains. Four of the largest HRDs (ca. 90%) situate within the Irano-Anatolian and Caucasus global biodiversity hotspot. In addition, our results reveal a large gap between identified HRDs and the current network of protected areas (PAs) in the country. While three of the detected HRDs in this study are partially touched (ca. 18%) by the PA network, overall, these areas are only covered by less than 10%. Therefore, the effectiveness of the current PAs for the protection of the reptile diversity of Iran is questionable.

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Sex chromosomes were studied in eight species of lacertid lizards using C-banding, G-banding and restriction enzyme treatment. All of the species showed female heterogamety. The W chromosome was a microchromosome in Lacerta graeca and Ophisops elegans. Two types of W were found in Lacerta vivipara; in specimens from The Netherlands it was metacentric, whereas in specimens from Russia it was acrocentric or subtelocentric. The W chromosome was homomorphic or nearly homomorphic but completely C-banded and heterochromatic in Lacerta agilis, Podarcis hispanica, Algyroides moreoticus and A. nigropunctatus. In was only possible to find sex chromosomes using the G-banding method in Podarcis sicula. The results obtained, together with data in the literature, suggest that sex chromosomes are likely to be present in all Lacertidae and that their differentiation took place repeatedly and independently in different taxa within the family. A model for sex chromosome evolution in the family, in which the starting point was the heterochromatization of the W chromosome, is proposed.

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In this study, a total of 30 specimens (15 , 15 ) collected from Ihlara Valley were examined for their taxonomic characteristics. The Ihlara population was compared with two nearby populations (Kayseri and Karaman), which are included in the distribution range of Ophisops elegans centralanatoliae. When pholidosis, coloration and pattern features were taken into consideration it was concluded that the Ihlara population can be included in the species Ophisops elegans centralanatoliae.

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Twenty-three morphological features of 140 specimens of Ophisops elegans were analysed in order to identify sexual dimorphism in west and northwestern populations of Iran. Sexual dimorphism is significant (P<0.05) in nearly all metric features except for trunk length (TL) and length of widest part of belly (LWB), and in only two meristic characters, the number of dorsal scales around mid-body (DSN) and the number of femoral pores (FPN). Males have a relatively longer snout-vent length (SVL) than females and males have generally relatively larger heads compared to females.

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Ophisops elegans, a common lizard with a wide distribution range in Iran, was selected to investigate the influence of environmental factors on its distribution pattern. Based on a distribution model developed with the software Maxent for O. elegans, the most important factors influencing the distribution pattern were found to be high winter precipitation, intermediate levels of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and intermediate levels of sunshine. It seems that overall plant cover and competition with Mesalina watsonana are the main factors which influence the distribution pattern of O. elegans in the central Iranian Plateau.

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The mite Ophionyssus natricis (Gervais, 1844) (Macronyssidae) is a widespread ectopara- site of reptiles and a vector of some important veterinary diseases. This paper reviews the geographic distribution and host range of O. natricis and the available information about its clinical significance. Some incorrect identifications and host records are also identified. The snake mite has been collected from 144 species of reptiles, mostly snakes, as well as one amphibian and three species of mammals. It has been recorded in 36 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, and Australia. Its geographic range has undoubtedly been extended by human activities. Our records of O. natricis on the lizards Darevskia brauneri (Méhely, 1909) and Ophisops elegans Ménétries 1832, and on the snake Telescopus fallax Fleischmann, 1831, are new host records.

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Mount Madran is located within Aydın Province and contains lots of types of ecosystems. With this study, amphibian and reptile species of Madran was tried to determine. Specimens which were collected on September 2011 and April-May 2012 were investigated in terms of some morphological characteristics like number of scales and plates, color and pattern characteristics, and body measurements and ratio. Information about ecological and biological characteristics of determined species from study area were also given. In this study, totally 23 species with 3 amphibian and 20 reptiles were determined and were expected to contribute Turkish Herpetofauna.

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This study investigates amphibian and reptile species of Madran Mountain. Specimens were collected in September 2011 and April and May 2012. A total of 23 species (3 amphibians and 20 reptiles) were determined. ese species are thought to contribute to our knowledge of the Turkish herpetofauna. In addition, a chorotype classi cation of the species determined on Madran Mountain is given.

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In this study, the amphibians and reptilians of Murat Mountain, where only mountain frogs have been investigated so far, are introduced. A total of 99 specimens from 15 different species were collected. Four of the species belong to anurans, one belongs to tortoises, six belong to lizards and four belong to the snakes group.

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Bozcaada (Tenedos) Island, Türkiye, is a naturalistic biotope very important in terms of biological diversity as it has an isolated ecosystem. A total of 14 amphibian and reptile species were identified in previous studies in Bozcaada. In this study, two amphibians (Lissotriton schmidtleri, Bufotes sitibundus) and 10 reptiles (Mauremys rivulata, Testudo graeca, Hemidactylus turcicus, Mediodactylus kotschyi, Ophisops elegans, Ablepharus kitaibelii, Dolichophis caspius, Malpolon insignitus, Natrix natrix, Xerotyphlops vermicularis) species were observed. Distribution maps of amphibian and reptile species in Bozcaada were created using ArcGIS 10.8 package program according to seven different habitat types (agricultural habitat, shrubby area, settlements area, stony-hilly area, wetland habitat, dune habitat, woodland habitat). Consequently, with previous studies and current field surveys, distribution maps of amphibian and reptile species in Bozcaada according to environmental variables such as habitat, density, temperature, and elevation were created for the first time and the distribution of herpetofauna were compared between ten years ago and present. According to the data, it was determined that the distribution of amphibian and reptile species was limited in certain areas and the species preferred to live especially in the high elevation areas of the island. The dryness of seasonal puddles due to higher temperatures and climate change in Bozcaada, poses a threat especially to aquatic amphibians and reptile species on the island.

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Amphibian and reptile species, which are ectothermic animals, spend the winter months underground depending on the seasonal change in temperate regions. The availability of nutrients is also an important reason for the hibernation of these animal species. Ectothermic animals need higher air temperature and body temperature after hibernation to be able to perform their vital activities such as reproduction, feeding, escaping from predators. With the global climate change that is taking place, unusual winter activities can be observed in amphibian and reptile species. In addition, global warming has a significant impact on amphibians and reptiles, which leads to the fact that the species leaves hibernation earlier. As part of the research, field works were carried out in Bozcaada, Çanakkale on 19 and 20 February 2022. During the field studies, sampling was carried out for the detection of amphibian and reptile species, air temperature, coordinates of the observed individuals, habitat characteristics in which they lived, and sex characteristics were recorded. The captured specimens were subsequently released. In this study, Lissotriton schmidtleri, Mauremys rivulata, Testudo graeca, Hemidactylus turcicus, Mediodactylus kotschyi, Ophisops elegans and Ablepharus kitaibelii species in February and data on unusual winter activities were reported. Among the species, winter activity was found for the first time in relation to Ablepharus kitaibelii. Determining the unusual winter activity of ectothermal animals will contribute to the literature on the biology of species and the effects of climate change.

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Caudal autotomy is one of the most effective and widespread defensive mechanisms among lizards. When predators grasp the tail, lizards are able to shed it from the point of the attack and further. Numerous factors have been reported to affect tail-shedding performance such as temperature, age, predation pressure, intraspecific competition etc. Interestingly, the impact of sex on tail loss remains greatly understudied. Here, we analyzed tail autotomy performance, simulated in the lab, in 12 species of lacertid lizards belonging to five genera (Algyroides, Anatololacerta, Hellenolacerta, Ophisops, Podarcis). Our aim was to investigate whether sex affects caudal autotomy and/or the duration of post-autotomic tail movement. We failed to detect any effect of sex on tail loss in the species examined. Also, we did not find any sexual impact on the duration of tail movement after autotomy, with a single exception. Our findings suggest that autotomy serves as a defensive tactic equally in both sexes and is used in the same extent.

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The authors report on a herpetological excursion from April 22 to May 7 to northwestern Iran. The route led from Tehran via Esfahan, Chelgerd, Kuhdasht, Kermanshah, Marivan, Täbriz, Zanjan and Manjil back to Tehran. The first part of the article deals with reptiles and amphibians found in the Zagros Mountains.

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In this study, age estimation by the skeletochronology method was done in Çanakkale (13 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀, 1 juv.) and Gökçeada (14 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀, 1 juv.) populations of Ophisops elegans. It was figured out that the median age of Çanakkale population is 3 (1-4) and Gökçeada population is 3 (1-6) in a total of 50 (27 ♂♂, 21 ♀♀, 2 juv.) samples which were analyzed transverse sections of femora. Among the samples, the maximum age was calculated as 6 for a male. There is not a statistically difference between populations in terms of head+body lengths, and it was figured out that the average head+body length in Çanakkale population is 45.90 mm (SD=4.06) and in Gökçeada population is 43.53 mm (4.11). The equation between age and length for all samples was calculated as head+body length= 36.78 + (2.77 x age) and as a result of linear regression analyses. It was determined that there is a weak correlation between age and length.

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Lacertinae is one of the three lacertid lizard subfamilies with a geographical distribution confined to the Palaearctic. Several past attempts to reconstruct its phylogeny resulted in unresolved bush-like topologies. We address the question of whether the lack of resolution is due to insufficient data or whether this lack reflects a rapid succession of speciation events. We analyzed four partial and one complete gene sequences from mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, totalling roughly 3600 bp. We included 29 species representing all 19 genera suggested in recent revision of Lacertinae [Arnold, E.N., Arribas, O., Carranza, S., 2007. Systematics of the palaearctic and oriental lizard tribe Lacertini (Squamata: Lacertidae: Lacertinae), with descriptions of eight new genera. Zootaxa 1430, 1–86]. The resulting phylogeny, first, corroborates monophyly at the genus level for the suggested genera, as well as the finding that Atlantolacerta andreanskyi, until recently part of Lacertinae, belongs to the subfamily Eremiadinae. Second, we find that increasing the sequence length and combining multiple nuclear and mitochondrial sequences did not resolve the polytomy, suggesting that the inferred topology indicates a multiple cladogenesis within a short geological period, rather than a methodical artefact. Divergence time estimates, based on previous estimates of several node ages, range from 13.9 to 14.9 million years for the radiation event, however with very broad confidence interval. To associate the radiation with a narrower geological time we consider palaeogeographic and palaeoclimatic data, assuming that the Lacertinae probably evolved in Central Europe andWAsia after the collision of Africa and Eurasia. We suggest that this radiation may date to the late Langhian (ca. 14–13.5 million years) when geological events caused abrupt changes in regional water–land distribution and climate, offering a window of distinct conditions.

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Many animals display complex colour patterns that comprise several adjacent, often contrasting colour patches. Combining patches of complementary colours increases the overall conspicuousness of the complex pattern, enhancing signal detection. Therefore, selection for conspicuousness may act not only on the design of single colour patches, but also on their combination. Contrasting long- and short-wavelength colour patches are located on the ventral and lateral surfaces of many lacertid lizards. As the combination of long- and short-wavelength-based colours generates local chromatic contrast, we hypothesized that selection may favour the co-occurrence of lateral and ventral contrasting patches, resulting in complex colour patterns that maximize the overall conspicuousness of the signal. To test this hypothesis we performed a comparative phylogenetic study using a categorical colour classification based on spectral data and descriptive information on lacertid coloration collected from the literature. Our results demonstrate that conspicuous ventral (long wavelength-based) and lateral (short wavelength-based) colour patches co-occur throughout the lacertid phylogeny more often than expected by chance, especially in the subfamily Lacertini. These results suggest that selection promotes the evolution of the complex pattern rather than the acquisition of a single conspicuous colour patch, possibly due to the increased conspicuousness caused by the combination of colours with contrasting spectral properties.

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Although the herpetofauna of Greece is well known (see for example, Werner, 1938; Wettstein, 1953, 1957; Ondrias, 1968; Chondropoulos, 1986, 1989), several distributional questions still remain unclear, mainly for the mainland but also for islands. ` In this paper we present some chorological information from a field trip of one month (April 1990) to mainland and insular Greece.

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The geographical position, mild climate, mountainous landscape, and habitat heterogeneity determine Bulgaria’s rich diversity of herpetofauna. Currently, 17 species of amphibians (20 subspecies) and 36 species of reptiles (45 subspecies) are known from Bulgaria. Due to its transitional position, Bulgaria lies at the southern or northern distribution limits of many species of amphibians and reptiles. Vertical distribution is presented for all species found in Bulgaria. The richest in terms of diversity and abundance are the areas below 400 m, where nearly 95 % of taxa occur. The geographical ranges of almost all amphibians and reptiles in Bulgaria are well-known, although on a local scale the information is often limited. Zoogeographical analysis demonstrates that amphibian species belong to nine chorotypes, of which the Eastern Mediterranean and the European chorotypes are represented with three species each. Out of the ten chorotypes recognized for the reptiles, 51.4 % of the species belong to the Eastern Mediterranean (25.7 %) and Turanian–Mediterranean (25.7 %) chorotypes. Only two subspecies are Bulgarian endemics (Salamandra salamandra beschkovi and Mediodactylus kotschyi rumelicus). Due to the high diversity and mosaic distribution of habitats in Bulgaria, the herpetofauna has a rather continuous occurrence and high relative abundance. Although 80 % of the Bulgarian herpetofauna is legally protected by the Biodiversity Protection Act (2002) and other conventions, some species are threatened through collection for trade or habitat changes due to construction. Several sites in the southern part of Bulgaria are very rich in herpetofauna (nine to ten species of amphibians and 19 to 21 species of reptiles).

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The Western Rhodopes (8732 km2) encompass vast forested areas and transborder mountain ridges up to 2191 m a.s.l between Bulgaria and Greece. The paper outlines all published herpetofaunal data for Bulgarian and Greek Western Rhodopes and supplements many original records. The herpetological diversity is remarkably high: 12 species of amphibians (4 tailed and 8 anurans) and 27 species of reptiles (2 tortoises, 2 terrapins, 12 lizards and 11 snakes). Altogether 34 species were found in the Bulgarian part, 32 were proved for the Greek part of the mountain. Two species of snakes, Typhlops vermicularis and Zamenis situla are considered extinct for the studied region. The most common and abundant amphibians are Salamandra salamandra, Rana temporaria, Rana graeca and Bufo bufo. The most widespread reptiles are Podarcis muralis, Lacerta viridis, Anguis fragilis, Natrix natrix and Coronella austriaca. Brief zoogeographical analysis and distribution maps for the majority of the species are provided. Herpetological conservation issues and threats are also discussed.

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The colonization patterns of oceanic islands are often interpreted through transmarine dispersal. However, in islands with intense human activities and unclear geological history, this inference may be inappropriate. Cyprus is such an island, whose geotectonic evolution has not been clarified yet to the desired level for biogeographical reconstructions, leaving the questions of ‘how the Cypriote biota arrived’ and ‘does the dispersal have the formative role in patterns of its diversification’ unanswered. Here, we address these issues through a reconstruction of the evolutionary history of six herptiles (Ablepharus budaki, Ophisops elegans, Acanthodactylus schreiberi, Telescopus fallax, Pelophylax cf. bedriagae, and Hyla savignyi) by means of mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome b and 16S rRNA), applying a Bayesian phylogenetic, biogeographical, and chronophylogenetic analyses. The phylogeographical analyses show that the colonization history of those species in Cyprus started in the late Miocene and extended into the Pliocene and Pleistocene, with geodispersal, transmarine dispersal, and human-mediated dispersal having their share in shaping the diversification of Cypriote herptiles. The revealed patterns could be divided into three biogeographical categories: old colonizers that arrived in Cyprus during the late Miocene or early Pliocene either by a land bridge (geodispersal) which connected Cyprus with the mainland or by transmarine dispersal, younger colonizers that reached the island through transmarine dispersal from the Middle East, and new settlers that arrived through human-induced (voluntary or not) introductions. This work advances our knowledge of the biogeography of Cyprus and highlights the need to consider both geo- and transmarine dispersal when dealing with islands whose associations do not have a straightforward interpretation.

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We have studied the terrestrial reptile fauna of the northwest Yazd province (Iran) and present here some of the characters that we examined for common species in the region. In total, 50 specimens from eight families (six lizard families and two snake families) were collected from the region. The collected lizards belonging to 13 species were Laudakia nupta, Phrynocephalus maculatus, Phrynocephalus scutellatus, and Trapelus agilis (Agamidae); Agamura persica and Bunopus crassicaudus (Gekkonidae), Teratoscincus bedriagai (Sphaerodactylidae); Eremias fasciata, Eremias persica, Mesalina watsonana, and Ophisops elegans (Lacertidae); Varanus griseus (Varanidae), and finally Uromastix asmussi belonging to the Uromastycidae. The two species of snakes were Spalerosophis diadema schiraziana (Colubridae) and Psammophis schokari (Lamprophiidae). Based on these results, Agamidae and Lacertidae are the families with highest number of genera and the genera Eremias and Phrynocephalus had the most species. Among the collected lizards, Trapelus agilis, Mesalina watsonana, and Bunopus crassicaudus were the most abundant species in the northwest Yazd province.

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Fieldherpetological observations in Lebanon in December 2003 and June 2004 -- During December 2003 and June 2004 the author made herpetological observations in Lebanon, mainly in Deir al-Qarnar (altitude approx. 900 m) just southeast of Beirut. In December 2003 a few Lacerta laevis were observed in Deir al Qarnar and Beirut. In June 2004 it was the most abundant reptile spe cies in Deir al-Qamar. In this urban environment it inhabited wails, open ground, vegetation and sometimes even climbing trees. One male which was readily recognised by its regenerated tail, was observed on the terrace of a house, having a territory of 100-150 m2. On 11 June two males were seen fighting. One Ophisops elegans and one Mabuya vittata were recorded in Deir al-Qamar on 11 June. Laudakia stellio was only found during the summer visit. It proved abundant in Anjar but more scattered in ruins in Ba’albek. In the morning specimens were usually dark coloured, enabling them to ab sorb additional heat (fig. 5). Hyla savignyi was seen daily in the house where the author lived in Deir al-Qamnar, however, only during the summer visit. There was a population in the garden pond and 1-4 adults were always noticed on the papyrus plants during the day (fig. 6). They were active at night. One adult Salamandra infraimmaculata at approx. 20-21 cm total length was found dead on the road at Deir al-Qamar on 6 December (fig. 7). It had probably been killed by a predator.

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A survey on the vertebrates of Wadi Al-Quff Protected Area (WAQPA) was conducted as part of a management plan preparation. Nineteen mammal species were recorded and all but one (Marbled Polecat, Vormela peregusna listed as vulnerable species) are of “least concern” by the IUCN. The pipistelle bat Pipistrellus pipistrellus was a notable finding as its most southern range of distribution so far in Palestine. Three amphibians were recorded. Among 21 reptile species recorded, three species of geckos were noted including Kotschy`s Gecko, Mediodactylys (Cyrtodactylus) kotschyi, representing the southern-most record for this species. Other reptiles recorded include the starred agama Stellagama stellio (most common reptile in WAQPA), seven species of lizards, and seven species of snakes. The Spur-thighed Tortoise (Tesudo graeca) and Gunther’s Skink (Chalcides guntheri) are considered vulnerable species according to the IUCN Red List.

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Arid region in Iraq are extensive, as such lizards have been adapted to different substrates. Certain Iraqi lizards are adopted for life in or on eolian sand dunes, or at least on sandy soils and more or less restricted to such zones. Among the abundant species are species of Acanthodactylus, Scincus, Phrynocephaluss. Members of genus Scincus and to lesser extent species of Phrynocephalus, are adapted both for burrowing in soft sand and for sand running. Furthermore, the species of Laudakia, such as L. nupta appear to be restricted to areas such as limestone outcrops and rocky cliff faces where both basking surfaces and deep crevices even in mountains of Kurdistan for retreat are provided. Species of Trapelus, such as T. agilis, T. persicus, T. ruderatus occur on plains, valleys, and alluvial fans, on sandy, loam, clay, and gravel soils. These lizards are usually found in the vicinity of small rock piles, such as those erected by local inhabitants to mark the boundaries of grain fields in a dried region of Mosul city (near Syrian boundies). They retreat into these piles for shelter. Species of Phrynocephalus show distinct preference for particular soil types some species prefer open clay and gravel plains, while others usually found on sandy plains and steppes. Species which are rock-inhibiting able to negotiate the rough vertical surfaces of rock outcrops and montane habitats. These include species of Laudakia and several species of Lacerta. These lizards utilize the many angles and shadows of this environment for temperature regulation by asking and make use of the many crevices for retreat from predators and temperature extremes. The gecko, Cyrtopodion usually are found on rocky slopes and cliff faces, in crevices and caverns, and in about human habitation particularly C. scrabum. Moreover, Asaccus elisae is found in caverns in gypsum deposits and limestone. Species of Uromastix are confined in their local distribution to well-drained alluvial soils wherein they are able to excavate their burrows, for instance U. lorcatus prefers silty-clay soils. As regards, Varanus spp. inhabiting the most continuously distributed substrate. From above biodiversity of lizard habitat. It can be conclude that the evolution of lizards may be correlated with this specific affinity for substrate type.

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The Arsanjan county has various habitat types (grasslands, mountains, rocky and shrubbery areas) that is located northeast of Fars Province, Iran. The herpetofauna of Arsanjan county is unclear and there is no biosystematic study so far. The aim of the present study is to investigate the lizard’s fauna of Arsanjan. The study area is located between the coordinates as follow: 29°38` _ 30°00` N and 53°07` _ 53°43` E. All the specimens were collected in different regions of Arsanjan county during this survey from 2018 to 2020. Specimens were identified according to the valuable resources. The collected specimens represented ten species, nine genera and four families including: Large scaled rock agama (Laudakia nupta), Brilliant ground agama (Trapelus agilis) and Horny scaled agama (Trapelus ruderatus) (Agamidae); Keeled rock gecko (Cytopodion scabrum) (Gekkonidae); Snake-eyed Lizard (Ophisops elegans), Persian long tailed lizard (Mesalina watsonana), Persian racerunner (Eremias persica) and Zagrosian lizard (Timon princeps) (Lacertidae); Schneider Skink (Eumeces schneiderii) and southern grass skink (Heremites septemtaeniatus) (Scincidae). Among the identified species Timon princeps is a new record from the area.

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As a model for study of spermatogenesis durability in lizards, 75 specimens of the snakeeyed lizard, Ophisops elegans, were collected from western Iranian Plateau. The testes of each specimen were removed, during four years from March to October. Based on histological and statistical analyses, three phases were observed in Ophisops elegans as follows: (I) active phase that occurs from March to May, (II) transitional phase that occurs from June to July and finally (III) resting phase that occurs from August to October. Based on this study, spermatogenesis durability in O. elegans is less than five months. Spermatogenesis durability of O. elegans occurred in post-hibernation period and stopped in pre-hibernation.

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An updated checklist of the herpetofauna of Iran is presented based on records of amphibian and reptile species whose presence has been confirmed in Iran as a result of extensive field expeditions, examination of herpetological collections, literature review, and personal communications from researchers. The herpetofauna of Iran consists of 13 species and five subspecies of frogs and toads belonging to five genera and four families, eight species of salamanders belonging to four genera and two families, nine species and six subspecies of turtles, terrapins and tortoises belonging to nine genera and six families, one species of crocodile, one species of amphisbaenian, more than 125 species of lizards belonging to 36 genera and eight families as well as 79 species of snakes belonging to 37 genera and six families

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Der Nordosten Irans, ein faszinierendes Gebiet, einerseits durch die immense Ausdehnung arider (Hoch-) Ebenen und Hügelländer, andererseits durch die überraschende landschaftliche Vielfalt unmittelbar südlich des Kaspischen Meeres. So kontrastieren die beeindruckend dichten Hyrcanischen Wälder und das über 5000 m hohe Elburs-Gebirge die endlosen, staubtrockenen Weiten im Landesinneren. Dementsprechend groß ist auch die dortige Artenvielfalt: Knapp 60 Reptilien- und Amphibienarten konnten im Zuge der 14-tägigen Exkursion auf der 4000 km langen Rundtour beobachtet werden.

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Algeria is situated at the crossroads between Europe and Africa. The northern part of the country is listed as an area of high biodiversity. Currently, the ecosystems (rivers, lakes, deserts, forests etc.) and the species are under more pressure than ever. The impact of humans is significant and many factors constitute a strong threat to this fauna, especially reptiles, which are the most vulnerable because of their low mobility. Thus, pollution, the drying up of wetlands and their conversion to agriculture have clearly affected the existence of many species. The herpetofauna of Algeria is one of the most diversified in the Mediterranean Basin, consisting of 104 species of which 16.98% are endemic. We suppose that the present list of reptilian fauna provided in this paper is not exhaustive and it is expected to include more species given the lack of research on reptiles in Algeria and its large area. Our dataset contains information on reptile occurrences in Algeria. The dataset is based on original research by the staff of the Laboratory of Environmental Sciences and Agroecology of Chadli Bendjedid University in Algeria. The conservation status of all recorded species is given.

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We present an annotated checklist for a total 241 reptiles and 22 amphibians including 5 frogs, 9 toads, 7 newts and salamanders, 1 crocodile, 1 worm lizard, 148 lizards, 79 snakes and 12 turtles and tortoises, includes the most scientific literature up to August 2014 and also based on several field surveys conducted in different Provinces of Iran from 2009 to 2014. We present an up-to-dated checklist of reptiles and amphibians in Iran. We provide a comprehensive listing of taxonomy, names, distribution and conservation status of all amphibians and reptiles of Iran. This checklist includes all recognized named taxa, English names for classes, orders, families, species, subspecies along with Persian names for species, including indication of native and introduced species. For the first time we report two non-native introduced reptiles from natural habitats of Iran. Of the total 22 species of amphibians in Iran, 6 (27.2%) are endemic and of the total 241 species of reptiles, 55 (22.8%) are endemic. Of the 22 amphibians species in Iran, 3 (13%) are Critically Endangered, 2 (9%) are Vulnerable and of the 241 reptile species 3 (1.2%) are Critically Endangered, 4 (1.6%) are Endangered and 10 (4.1%) are Vulnerable. Accordingly, this paper combines significant aspects of taxonomy, common names, conservation status and distribution of the Iranian herpetofauna.

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The present study investigated the reptilian fauna in Amasya Province, Turkey. Reptile species were identified from collections made during field studies or recorded in literature, with some new locality records obtained. Field studies were undertaken over two consecutive years (2016 and 2017). Two lacertid species, one skink species, two colubrid species and one viper species were officially recorded for the first time or their information was updated. In addition to species locality records, chorotypical and habitat selection were also assessed and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species criteria included. Data on the distribution and locality information for each taxon is also provided. Our findings demonstrate that Amasya might be an ecotone zone between the Mediterranean, Caucasian, and European ecosystems. Although there are some concerns for the sustainable dynamics of reptilian fauna, relatively rich and different European nature information system habitat types provide basic survival conditions for reptilian fauna in the province.

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The present review discussed the species diversity of herpetofauna in southern Iraq due to their scientific and national interests. The review includes a historical record for the herpetofaunal studies in Iraq since the earlier investigations of the 1920s and 1950s along with the more recent taxonomic trials in the following years. It appeared that, little is known about Iraqi herpetofauna, and no comprehensive checklist has been done for these species. So far, 96 species of reptiles and amphibians have been recorded from Iraq, but only a relatively small proportion of them occur in the southern marshes. The marshes act as key habitat for globally endangered species and as a potential for as yet unexplored amphibian and reptile diversity. Despite the lack of precise localities, the tree frog Hyla savignyi, the marsh frog Pelophylax ridibunda and the green toad Bufo viridis are found in the marshes. Common reptiles in the marshes include the Caspian terrapin (Clemmys caspia), the soft-shell turtle (Trionyx euphraticus), the Euphrates softshell turtle (Rafetus euphraticus), geckos of the genus Hemidactylus, two species of skinks (Trachylepis aurata and Mabuya vittata) and a variety of snakes of the genus Coluber, the spotted sand boa (Eryx jaculus), tessellated water snake (Natrix tessellata) and Gray`s desert racer (Coluber ventromaculatus). More recently, a new record for the keeled gecko, Cyrtopodion scabrum and the saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus sochureki) was reported. The IUCN Red List includes six terrestrial and six aquatic amphibian species. It includes also 23 terrestrial and one aquatic reptile species. The list of herpetofauna of southern Iraq of the present review consists of six amphibian species belonging to one order (Anura) which includes three families as well as 32 reptilian species belonging to two orders (Squmata and Testudines) which include 15 families.

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In this study, it is aimed to determine the amphibians and reptiles species of Adana province. This study was conducted in September and October 2013 and February, March, May, April, and June 2014. As a results of the study, 4 anuran species belonging to three families, 2 urodelian species belonging to one family, 6 tortoise species belonging to five families, 16 lizards species belonging to 6 families, one worm lizard, 19 snakes species belonging to 4 families, with a total of 48 different species of amphibians and reptiles, showing distribution in Adana, were identified. However, the species of Neurergus strauchii, Pelobates syriacus, Anatololacerta pelasgiana, Darevskia valentini, Eirenis decemlineatus, E. eiselti, E. lineomaculatus, Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus, which were recorded in the literature previously, could not be found. With the field survey and literature records, 56 amphibian and reptile species belonging to 21 families were determined in Adana province. In addition, chorotype information of the species and distribution localities in Adana were given in detail.

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Herpetological surveys were carried out by RESETAR (1981) between September 25, 1981 and December 12, 1981 and by myself from April 1, 1983 to August 30, 1983. In this final report all species of amphibians and reptiles collected in Kouf National Park and its adjacent areas are mentioned and the data, descriptions and wildlife observations, together with the distributional maps of the herptiles of the park area, are compiled. - In the proposed 100,000 ha park area 2 amphibian, 3 turtle, 10 lizard and 7 snake species were found and described. For the adjacent areas, surrounding the region of the watershed, 1 further turtle species (Testudo [P.] kleinmanni), 2 further lizard species (Stenodactylus sthenodactylus sthenodactylus, Eumeces schneideri algeriensis) und 2 further snake species (Spalerosophis diadema, Cerastes sp.) could be added. General descriptions and information on the park are given, and ecological data summarize the information on the biology of the species mentioned.

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or the island of Limnos Emys orbicularis and Eryx jaculus are recorded as additions to its known herpetofauna of now 13 species. All occur in other parts of Greece and in Turkey.

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Im March and April 1995, the author visited the type localities of Neurergus kaiseri K. P. SCHMIDT, 1952, Batrachuperus persicus ElSELT & STEINER, 1970 and habitats of N. microspilotus (NESTEROV, 1917) and Salamandra salamandra semenovi NESTEROV, 1916 in Iran. The habitats of three species (except Batrachuperus persicus) observed and collected on this occasion are described. Hitherto unsuccessful attempts to find metamorphs of Batrachuperus persicus are explained by their possibly subterranean (troglobiotic) habits.

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In this paper, the evolution and ecology of directional asymmetry (DA) during the developmental trajectory (DT) is compared with that of its product, morphological DA (MDA). DT and MDA are calculated for two bilateral morphological scale characters of lizards, the number of subdigital lamellae beneath the fourth toe in 10 agamid and 28 lacertid taxa, and the number of rows of ventral scales in 12 lacertid taxa. MDA, the subtraction between left and right sides (classical measure of DA), is functional in adult animals. Results confirm the hypodiesis that, in DT, the regression parameters a (constant) and b (regression slope) of counts on the right side with those on the left describe a developmental process. No phylogenetic or environmental effects were observed on a and b, but analyses considering both a and b together show non-random phyletic patterns. Independent analyses deduced the same ancestral DT in Agamidae and Lacertidae. In Lacertidae, distance between pairs of taxa in a + b (standardized values) correlates positively with die phylogenetic distance between taxa. Phyletic trends in MDA are indirect, and due to the link of MDA with a + b. The MDA of species is more dissimilar in sympatry than in allopatry. The phyletic trends suggest evolution of DT, while die association of MDA witii sympatry suggests that ecological pressures shape MDA in adult animals. Evolution of DT is independent from tiiat of its product, MDA–adaptive determinism defines the result of, but not the mechanistic process of, development. Deterministic environmental processes define MDA, and deterministic evolutionary processes define the interactive result of a and b, but not each separately. According to circumstances, different DTs produce similar or different MDA, and a particular DT can produce different MDAs.

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General morphology and size of erythrocytes of some lacertid lizards. Ophisops elegans, Lacerta cappodocica, Anatololacerta danfordi and Podarcis muralis, living in Turkey was studied using technique. The longest erythrocytes and nuclei were measured in O. elegans and the shortest ones in L cappodocica. The widest erythrocytes were recorded ill P. muralis and the narrowest ones in L. cappodocica, The widest nuclei were found in O. elegans mid the narrowest ones in L cappodocica.

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Background and Objective: Environmental factors affecting the species are one of the most important topics in the science of ecology and understanding the influences of environmental variables can help the protection of species especially endangered species. The purpose of this study was to identify habitat factors influencing the presence of lizard habitat in Alvand protected area. Method: Alvand protected area; with 8618 hectares survey is located in central province and Khomein city. In this paper, the studied area, in terms of geomorphology is divided to three types including, plain, hillside and mountainous area. Then all three type of habitats divided to cells with 5050 size in Arc GIs 9.3, and ultimately 10 percent of these cells are selected randomly and will be considered and analyzed Findings: The results of GGE biplot software for three groups of habitat plains, foothills, and mountainside showed that the most presence in plains habitat is dependent to Ophisops elegans species that variables which influence the presence of these species are: the richness of vegetation, soil content, and the density of the vegetation and grit is the worst parameter for the presence of this species. In mountainside habitat, the most presence is dependent to the species Ophisops elegans and Paraloudakia Caucasia. And the most important parameter for Paraloudakia Caucasia is height and the percent of grift. Also for mountainside habitat species like Ophisops elegans, Paraloudakia Caucasia and Loudakia nupta had the most presence. Discussion and Conclusion: Results obtained from this study illustrated that especially Ophisops elegans and Paraloudakia Caucasia species with percent of rock and Loudakia nupta with vegitation enrichment, the density of vegetation, the percent of grit, and height, respectively showed presence.

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This book shows a comprehensive picture of the reptiles, excluding snakes, living in Europe, North Africa, Middle and Near East and Central Asia. The bulk of the book is an annotated checklist and a distributional atlas of approx 500 species of lizards, crocodiles, turtles and terrapins, and amphisbaenians, living in the Western Palearctic. Information on distribution, subspecies, chorotype and main references are provided for each species, as well as 226 colour maps showing the global distribution of the species on a grid of one degree. For each species map the bibliographic and original sources (more than 850 sources are listed) are indicated. A further 83 maps show the distribution of all genera and main species groups of Palearctic reptiles. Beside the checklist and the atlas, in some additional chapters the following arguments are treated: Materials and methods; status of knowledge on the Palearctic fauna; composition of the Western Palearctic reptile fauna (including a statement on biodiversity and species richness); descriptive biogeography (including a discussion on the Palearctic region boundaries based on reptile distribution and the herpeto-geographic sectors of the Western Palearctic); conservation status. A list of more than 730 references quoted in the text and high quality colour plates including photos of the most of the supraspecific taxa living in the study area completes the book.

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We present a comprehensive summary of the distribution of the lizards of Iran accompanied by an annotated checklist. The updated maps of distribution of all 146 species of 41 genera of 11 families are based on all available bibliographic records, catalogues of museum collections and our own field observations. The final dataset used for the distribution maps contains 8525 georeferenced records and cover 41% of the country when plotted on a grid of 0.25° × 0.25° resolution. The dataset is publicly accessible through GBIF portal (http://www.gbif.org/dataset/7db4f705-61ae-4c6e-9de2-06674e7d46b2). Following the latest biogeographic division of the country, ~53% of the species (76 species) inhabit the Iranian Province, ~41% (60 species) the Western Asian mountain transition zone, ~9% (13 species) the Turanian Province, and ~18% (27 species) the Arabian Province. In addition, ~2% (3 species) reach Iran from the Indo-Malay biogeographic region and ~2% (3 species) are believed to have been introduced to Iran by humans. Endemic species (46) represent ~32% of the known species diversity. The most species-rich family of lizards in Iran is Lacertidae with 47 species, followed by Gekkonidae (41), Agamidae (18), Scincidae (15), Phyllodactylidae (10), Sphaerodactylidae (4), Eublepharidae and Uromastycidae (3), Anguidae and Varanidae (2), and Trogonophidae with one representative.

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Aim: Deserts are generally perceived as areas of low diversity, and hence receive little attention from researchers and conservationists. Squamates are the dominant group of vertebrates in arid regions, and as such represent an ideal model to study biodiversity patterns in these areas. We examine spatial patterns of diversity, evolutionary history and endemism of terrestrial squamates of the Arabian Peninsula and test hypotheses on the role of topography and history of isolation so as to identify possible environmental drivers of diversification. Location: The Arabian Peninsula. Taxon: Squamate reptiles (Squamata; lizards and snakes). Methods: We generated distribution maps for all Arabian squamate species (including yet undescribed) and reconstructed their phylogenetic relationships using existing and newly produced genetic data for nearly all the species. We assessed patterns of the distribution of species richness, phylogenetic diversity and phylogenetic en demism across the peninsula to identify areas that could be considered evolutionary or endemicity hotspots for squamates. We evaluated community turnover across the peninsula and assessed the possible environmental drivers affecting the diversity of Arabian squamates in a regression framework. Results: The main hotspots of Arabian squamate diversity are mostly along the mountains that rim the peninsula while the most arid, central regions support a low diversity of species. The distribution of the phylogenetic diversity mirrors that of the species richness. Phylogenetic endemism is also highest in the mountains, especially when only endemic species are analysed. The deserts of northern Arabia are poor in terms of species richness and they show low connectivity to the peninsular communities. Topographic heterogeneity is the strongest predictor for Arabian squamates, followed by elevation. There is no correlation between richness and temperature. Main conclusions: The mountains of Arabia support rich and unique squamate communities that are dominated by local radiations of closely related and narrow-ranging species. In particular, the Asir Mountains of SW Arabia, Dhofar Province of Oman and the Hajar Mountains of northern Oman and UAE show unprecedented levels of squamate endemism and phylogenetic endemism. While many generalist species range across Arabia, a low number of species is shared between the peninsula and mainland Asia, indicating an effective isolation of the Arabian fauna. Squamate richness is highest in heterogeneous, topographically complex habitats.

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In the wild, animals living at different altitude environment face different stressors, accordingly generating clines for several traits and biochemical changes with altitude. The current study was conducted to examine various morphological traits and biochemical biomarkers in field population of Ophisops elegans at three different altitudes. Biomarkers included antioxidant enzymatic activity of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde) in bran, liver and tail tissue samples. Results show that lizards from highlands are larger than those from lowland. Lipid peroxidation in lowland lizards was significantly increased in all three brain, liver and tail tissues. Total antioxidant capacity in the liver and glutathione peroxidase activity in tail were much higher in lowland than those in highland. However, the activity of superoxide dismutase was similar among three elevations. We observed significant negative correlation between snout-vent length and lipid peroxidation in the brain and tail. Total antioxidant capacity in liver and glutathione peroxidase in tail also recorded a negative correlation with snout-vent length. By contrast, total antioxidant capacity in liver was positively correlated with lipid peroxidation. These results clearly suggest that oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses in Ophisops elegans varies in response to elevation.

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Research on the taxonomy of European amphibians and reptiles has increased noticeably over the last few decades, indicating the need for recognition of new species and the cancellation of others. This paper provides a critical review of recent changes and draws up a tentative species list.

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The last species list of the European herpetofauna was published by Speybroeck, Beukema and Crochet (2010). In the meantime, ongoing research led to numerous taxonomic changes, including the discovery of new species-level lineages as well as reclassifications at genus level, requiring significant changes to this list. As of 2019, a new Taxonomic Committee was established as an official entity within the European Herpetological Society, Societas Europaea Herpetologica (SEH). Twelve members from nine European countries reviewed, discussed and voted on recent taxonomic research on a case-by-case basis. Accepted changes led to critical compilation of a new species list, which is hereby presented and discussed. According to our list, 301 species (95 amphibians, 15 chelonians, including six species of sea turtles, and 191 squamates) occur within our expanded geographical definition of Europe. The list includes 14 non-native species (three amphibians, one chelonian, and ten squamates).

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A collection of 1580 recent data records (1993-2012) of amphibians and reptiles from the Greek island of Samos was compiled. All records were mapped onto a grid of 1 km by 1 km, with 261 of the total 648 cells (40 %) of the island holding at least one observation. Subsequently, the distribution patterns and ecological observa- tions were compared with data from other islands in the Aegean Basin. The discovery of the Coin-marked Snake Hemorrhois nummifer (reuSS, 1834), published herein after, constitutes a new island record, setting the herpeto- fauna list to 28 confirmed species (4 amphibians, 24 reptiles).

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During a field study in 1983-1984 in a 200 km 2 study area in the south of Evros province (Greece) the presence of 11 lizard species was established. For every species a distribution map within the area is supplied. In different parts of the area thc lizards formed different species combinations. Ophisops elegans appeared to vicariate in certain terrains with both Podarcis erhardii and P. taurica. By studying habitat selection and activity patterns of all species data on spatial and temporal niche segregation could be obtained. The activity patterns of all species were strongly influenced by exposition and altitude. In some species a strong altitude influence was also measured on growth and some other life history data. Some pairs of morphologically or ecologically related species are compared in more detail. Some species occurred in very high densities (Lacerta viridis up to 500, Ablepharus kitaibelii up to 1100 ind./ha). Tail loss frequencies of all species are given. For many birds of prey they formed an essential food source.

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In the westernmost parts of its distribution area Ophisops elegans has to share its potential habitat with a number of other lacertid species, which are absent for the greater part in the more central parts of its distribution area. This higher biotic stress is added to stronger physiological constraints posed by lower temperatures. These factors restrict its possibilities adn probably eventually cause the distribution limit.

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Ophisops elegans is a widely distributed lizard species. Like other lacertids, O. elegans has characteristic head plates. In this paper, the variation of the head plate morphology between sexes was studied in the subspecies Ophisops elegans centralanatoliae. According to our results, both size and shape of the head plates show sexual dimorphism. The most remarkable shape difference between sexes is observed in the parietal region. In addition, the ontogentic allometry of the head plate shapes was investigated.

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Eleven species from six families of lizards have been found in the Resadiye (Datça) Peninsula between the years 1990-1993. In this survey the morphological characteristics such as pholodosis, color-pattern and body measurement and ratios have been investigated. Systematic positions the species of which we have a sufficient number of samples were more accurate in terms of morphological characteristics. Besides, the biological and ecological information on the species were also given.