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We studied the female reproductive cycle in a population of the oviparous lizard Acanthodactylus schreiberi syriacus from sandy beaches of Tyre, Lebanon. Females emerged from hibernation in mid-April, one month later than males. They reached sexual maturity at 57 mm snout-vent length and had smaller body sizes than males. Fertilization started in May. Among 33 gravid females, only one female showed evidence for two clutches produced in the same reproductive season whereas most of females laid one clutch per season. Mean clutch size was 2.5 ± 1.0, ranging from 1-4. We found no significant correlation between female body size and clutch size.

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Cette note est destinée à faire le point sur le peuplement herpétologique du Maroc. Elle comprend: — Une liste des formes effectivement présentes au Maroc, avec les affinités biogéographiques des espèces, et éventuellement les travaux récents où ces formes sont étudiées. — Des commentaires sur les espèces africaines douteuses en Europe et européennes douteuses en Afrique. — Une liste des espèces à rechercher au Maroc. — Une discussion sommaire sur la systématique de certaines espèces marocaines.

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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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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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The publication entitled Description de l’Égypte, which carries scientific results from Napoleon Bonaparte’s conquest of Egypt, includes illustrated descriptions of two lizards, Acanthodactylus boskianus (Daudin 1802), and the new A. asper (Audouin 1827). We note that their original drawings differ conspicuously in the degree of abruptness with which the dorsal scales are enlarged towards the rear of the back. However, this character has been overlooked by later researchers, who often found it difficult to distinguish the two nominal species by conventional transverse scale counts. We developed a method to quantify the degree of abruptness with which scale size changes along the back. For studying this new descriptor we reduced the expected within-sample variation by limiting the sample in two ways: (1) viewing the sexes separately, and (2) heeding the Seligmann effect and considering only whole-tailed individuals. However, the systematic problem persisted. According to our graphic analysis, in A. b. asper both the degree of abruptness of change in scale size, and when abrupt, the location of this change along the back, varied strongly but unimodally. The ranges overlap between provisional geographical areas. Similar abruptness in the change of dorsal scale size does not occur in the populations called A. b. boskianus and A. b. euphraticus. We conclude that the two classical illustrations must be considered as representing two extremes of a complex gradient. The taxonomic implication is to maintain the current trinomials in the complex until a major revision may direct otherwise.

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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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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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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 diet of a population of Acanthodactylus schreiberi syriacus Böttger, 1979 (Reptilia Lacertidae) on the beach in southern of Lebanon. The diet of a population of Acanthodactylus schreiberi syriacus inhabiting a sandy beach on the South Lebanese coast was studied. The range of prey size, their taxonomic diversity and the absence of a close relationship between prey and predator size emphasize the alimentary opportunism of this lizard. Such behavior may be an adaptive response to the ecological conditions of the studied population.

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A review of a recently published analysis of the zoogeography of the Syrian herpetofauna is presented. Nine taxa are deleted from the faunal list, six subspecies and species respectively are added, in three the occurrences are questionable and in two the taxonomy and systematic^ are discussed; moreover, several additional `doubtful` Syrian reptiles are listed. Critical comments are made on the numerical analysis, the ecozones of the country and the zoogeographical affinities o f its herpetofaunal elements.

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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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Der Verfasser besuchte Tunesien Anfang April 1978 und berichtet von den Arten, die er da vorfand. Chalcides ocellatus und Tarentola mauritanica wurden häufig beobachtet, besonders in Sousse. Ertaunliche Mengen von mMauremys caspica leprosa wurden in dem kleinen Fluss ´Oued Hamdoun`bei Sousse gesehen, sie wurden aber auch in Kairouan und Gabès anagetroffen. Natrix maura wurde in Sousse und Kairouan immer im oder beim Wasser gesehen, oft ist dieses Wasser hier brackig. Zum Schluss gibt der Verfasser einen Determinationsschlüssel zu den tunesischen Amphibien-, Eidechsen- und Schildkrötenarten mit wissenscjaftlichen, französischen, niederländischen und manchmal auch arabischen Namen.

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New records of 20 reptile species and subspecies on the Red Sea coast of Sinai Peninsula and Eastern Desert in Egypt are given. A zoogeographical analyses of the herpetofauna and comparison of the species compositions re- sults to estimate the biodiversity for each subregion of Eastern Egypt. The faunal richness, taxonomic diversity and endemism level in hyperarid deserts of the Egypt are discussed. Mountainous South Sinai and southern part of the South Eastern Desert is suggested to consider as biodiversity hotspots in Eastern Egypt.

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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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Investigating how patterns of sexual size dimorphism vary among local populations may be useful for understanding size evolution in lizards. We investigated patterns of sexual size dimorphism in a Tunisian population of Bosk`s fringe-toed lizards Acanthodactylus boskianus asper, in relation to a Middle-eastern population of the same subspecies. Our results showed an overall male-biased size dimorphism, consistent with general sexual size dimorphism trends in lacertids, and provide support for both the fecundity advantage hypothesis and the intra-sexual selection hypothesis. Indeed, for similarly-sized heads, females had longer trunks than males, and for similarly-sized trunks, males showed larger heads than females. Using the discriminant function approach, we investigated whether the power of discrimination between sexes varied when morphometric measures were expressed relative to head length vs. trunk length. We found that the two methods agreed in the classification of individuals as males or females, although the discrimination power was slightly higher when data were expressed relative to head length. Our results also showed that when using trunk length-adjusted data the power of discriminating the sexes was higher when the analysis was restricted to the largest individuals, which gives support to the idea that for morphological investigations small subsamples of the largest individuals should be used. Overall, the results of our work support the conclusions of a recent study on sexual size dimorphism in a Middle-eastern population of the same subspecies, suggesting that patterns of sexual size dimorphism are geographically stable in this widely distributed subspecies.

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A new taxonomic checklist is established for the Amphibians and “Reptiles” of Tunisia. In addition to international zoological scientific names, a French scientific name is attributed to each taxon. The Tunisian herpetofauna presently contains seven species of Amphibians and 62 of “Reptiles”.

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Records on distribution of 34 species of Reptiles and of 2 species of Amphibians are given on recent distribution of Egyptian herpetofauna. If compared with faunistical records given by Marx (1968) and Werner (1983) the total of 24 species is recorded from areas given also by these authors. For 12 species records from other areas are given, especially for the Red Sea area, Upper Egypt and Nubia. The records include data on the species very rarely referred in the literature from the Egypt, e. g. Dermochelys coriacea, Eremias mucronata, Dasypeltis scabra, Walterinnesia aegyptia; on the endangered forms, e. g. Crocodylus niloticus, Chelonia mydas, Eretmochelys imbricata, Varanus griseus, Varanus niloticus, Uromastyx aegyptius, Eryx colubrinus, Eryx jaculus; and the data giving the evidence of the wider distribution of several species if compared with literature data, e. g. Coluber rogersi, Psammophis aegyptius, Echis coloratus. Data on the distribution of Egyptian herpetofauna are relatively richer in Lower Egypt, and very scanty for Upper Egypt and Nubia. In the latter of interest is the situation in Nubian lake area, where for instance after construction of the High Dam large unsettled areas occur, and a situation-remains convenient for existence of such great forms as Nile Crocodiles.

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This study was carried out in El Omayed Protected Area at the Western Coastal Desert of Egypt. The present survey of the herpetofauna comprise 30 species (one amphibian species and 29 reptilian species) belonging to 25 genera and 11 families. Bufo viridis viridis was the only recorded amphibian species. From reptiles, 18 species of lizards, 9 species of snakes, and 2 species of Testudines were recorded. No endemic species were found in the study area. About half of the recorded species (43%) are threatened by different degrees and in argent need of special management; Threats to the populations of herpetofauna of the study area and conservatory recommendations were listed.

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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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Six localities within a radius of about 35 km around Ouarzazate (Central Morocco) were visited by the author five times between 1977 and 1989 to investigate their herpetofauna. 4 anuran and 20 reptile species were observed which raises the total number of herp species known from the area to 5 and 26 respectively. The threats to the local herpetofauna are discussed.

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Acanthodactylus is a widespread lacertid genus occurring from the Iberian Peninsula and western North Africa to western India including the Middle East, Cyprus, and the Arabian Peninsula. The genus is in dire need of a taxonomic revision, and the phylogenetic relationships amongst and within its species remain unclear. In particular, the taxonomy and relationship of the allopatric, narrow-ranged Acanthodactylus schreiberi and its close relative, the widespread Acanthodactylus boskianus asper, are poorly understood. We estimated the phylogenetic and phylogeographical structure of A. schreiberi across its distribution range, and evaluated its relationships to A. b. asper, using mitochondrial and nuclear data. The phylogenetic results indicate that both species are paraphyletic, with A. schreiberi nested within A. b. asper, and the subspecies A. schreiberi syriacus nested within a distinct lineage of A. b. asper. We suggest that the group is in need of a taxonomic revision because the identified lineages and genetic diversity are incongruent with the currently recognized taxonomy. We tentatively conclude that A. schreiberi is restricted to Cyprus and Turkey, reduced to a single form, and that the populations in Lebanon and Israel belong to A. b. asper.

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Acanthodactylus lizards are among the most diverse and widespread diurnal reptiles in the arid regions spanning from North Africa across to western India. Acanthodactylus constitutes the most species-rich genus in the family Lacertidae, with over 40 recognized species inhabiting a wide variety of dry habitats. The genus has seldom undergone taxonomic revisions, and although there are a number of described species and species-groups, their boundaries as well as their interspecific relationships are largely unresolved. We constructed a multilocus phylogeny, combining data from two mitochondrial (12S, cytb) and three nuclear (MC1R, ACM4, c-mos) markers for 302 individuals belonging to 36 known species, providing the first large-scale time-calibrated molecular phylogeny of the genus. We evaluated phylogenetic relationships between and within species-groups, and assessed Acanthodactylus biogeography across its known range. Acanthodactylus cladogenesis is estimated to have originated in Africa due to vicariance and dispersal events from the Oligocene onwards. Radiation started with the separation into three clades: the Western and scutellatus clades largely distributed in North Africa, and the Eastern clade occurring mostly from Arabia to south-west Asia. Most Acanthodactylus species diverged during the Miocene, possibly as a result of regional geological instability and climatic changes. We support most of the current taxonomic classifications and phylogenetic relationships, and provide genetic validity for most species. We reveal a new distinct blanfordii species-group, suggest new phylogenetic positions (A. hardyi, A. masirae), and synonymize several species and subspecies (A. lineomaculatus, A. boskianus khattensis and A. b. nigeriensis) with their phylogenetically closely-related species. We recommend a thorough systematic revision of taxa exhibiting high levels of intraspecific variability as well as clear evidence of phylogenetic complexity such as A. guineensis, A. grandis, A. dumerilii, and A. senegalensis and the pardalis and erythrurus species-groups.

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The distribution of the Arabian desert lizard Acanthodactylus opheodurus Arnold, 1980 in the Levant is re-examined. West of Jordan it is almost limited to the ‘Arava Valley, absent from most of the Negev and from Sinai. This correction of an earlier report derives from re-identification of specimens, relying on the colour pattern difference from the syntopic sibling A. boskianus asper (Audouin, 1829). The vertebral dark stripe is simple in A. opheodurus but forked in A. boskianus. The vertebral stripe is forked but light-colored in two geographically adjacent related taxa, A. b. boskianus (Daudin, 1802) of northern Egypt and A. schreiberi syriacus Boettger, 1878 of coastal Israel.