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Tras 12 años de invasión de la culebra de herradura (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) en la isla de Ibiza (Baleares), debido a su transporte en grandes olivos destinados a jardinería, en 2015 aparecieron dos ejemplares de esta especie en el norte de la isla de Gran Canaria, en las inmediaciones de un vivero en el barranco de Casa Ayala, límite entre los municipios de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria y Arucas. Aunque se trata de dos casos aislados, la introducción de esta especie podría tener consecuencias nefastas para su biodiversidad, que ya está amenazada por la invasión de la culebra real de California (Lampropeltis californiae).

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The role of the sympathetic limb of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in the mediation of oscillations in consecutive beat-to-beat RR interval (RRI) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) values of lizards, Gallotia galloti, was investigated using spectral analysis and measuring effects of autonomic blockers. a-Adrenergic blockade decreased the power spectral density (PSD) of both RRI and SBP very low frequency (VLF: 0.007–0.055 Hz) and low frequency (LF: 0.055– 0.150 Hz) bands, whereas b-adrenergic blockade increased the PSD of both RRI- and SBP-VLF and RRI- and SBP-LF bands. These findings suggest that in lizards 1) the VLF and LF peaks of RRI and SBP power spectra are a-adrenergic mediated, and that 2) the b-adrenergic activity of the sympathetic system may act buffering all RRI and SBP oscillations below 0.150 Hz. These results, when analyzed jointly with the ones obtained from a previous study (De Vera and González. 1997. Comp Biochem Physiol 85A:389–394) on the effects of parasympathetic blockade on lizards’ RRI and SBP oscillations, demonstrate that these reptiles, like mammals, exhibit spontaneous short-term oscillations in their HR and SBP which are mediated by the ANS. However, unlike mammals, the RRI and ABP low-frequency oscillations in Gallotia seem to be similarly affected by the ANS and appear to be powered by a-adrenergic and parasympathetic activities and buffered by b-adrenergic activity.

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A field study was performed to evaluate the effect of exposure to organophosphorus (OP) and carbamate (CB) pesticides on the lizard Gallotia galloti palmae. Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity was measured in the plasma of 420 lizards collected from agricultural and reference areas on the Island of La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain) in two sampling periods. Exposure to cholinesteraseinhibiting pesticides was evaluated by a statistical criterion based on a threshold value (two standard deviations below the mean enzyme activity) calculated for the reference group, and a chemical criterion based on the in vitro reactivation of BChE activity using pyridine- 2-aldoxime methochloride (2-PAM) or after water dilution of the sample. Mean (GSD) BChE activity for lizards from agricultural areas was significantly lower (Fuencaliente site=2.00G0.98 mmol min_1 ml_1, Tazacorte site=2.88G1.08) than that for lizards from the reference areas (Los Llanos site=3.06G1.17 mmol min_1 ml_1, Tigalate site=3.96G1.62). According to the statistical criterion, the number of lizards with BChE depressed was higher at Fuencaliente (22% of males and 25.4% of females) than that sampled at Tazacorte (7.8% of males and 6.2% of females). According to the chemical criterion, Fuencaliente also yielded a higher number of individuals (112 males and 47 females) with BChE activity inhibited by both OP and CB pesticides. CBs appeared to be the pesticides most responsible for BChE inhibition because most of the samples showed reactivation of BChE activity after water treatment (63.3% from Fuencaliente and 29% from Tazacorte). We concluded that the use of reactivation techniques on plasma BChE activity is a better and more accurate method for assessing field exposure to OP/CB pesticides in this lizard species than making direct comparisons of enzyme activity levels between sampling areas.

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Reptiles are the only amniotic vertebrates known to be capable of spontaneous regeneration of the central nervous system (CNS). In this study, we analyzed the reactive changes of glial cells in response to a unilateral physical lesion in the cerebral cortex of the lizard Gallotia galloti, at 1, 3, 15, 30, 120, and 240 days postlesion. The glial cell markers glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), glutamine synthetase (GS), S100 protein, and tomato lectin, as well as proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were used to evaluate glial changes occurring because of cortical lesions. A transitory and unilateral upregulation of GFAP and GS in reactive radial glial cells were observed from 15 to 120 days postlesion. In addition, reactive lectin-positive macrophage/microglia were observed from 1 to 120 days postlesion, whereas the expression of S100 protein remained unchanged throughout the examined postlesion period. The matricial zones closest to the lesion site, the sulcus lateralis (SL) and the sulcus septomedialis (SSM), showed significantly increased numbers of dividing cells at 30 days postlesion. At 240 days postlesion, the staining pattern for PCNA, GFAP, GS, and tomato lectin in the lesion site became similar to that observed in unlesioned controls. In addition, ultrastructural data of the lesioned cortex at 240 days postlesion indicated a structural repair process. We conclude that restoration of the glial framework and generation of new neurons and glial cells in the ventricular wall play a key role in the successful structural repair of the cerebral cortex of the adult lizard.

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The myelin-associated protein Nogo-A contributes to the failure of axon regeneration in the mammalian CNS. Inhibition of axon growth by Nogo-A is mediated by the Nogo-66 receptor (NgR). Non-mammalian vertebrates, however, are capable of spontaneous CNS axon regeneration, and we have shown that retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons regenerate in the lizard, Gallotia galloti. Using immunohistochemistry, we observed spatiotemporal regulation of Nogo-A and NgR in cell bodies and axons of RGCs during ontogeny. In the adult lizard, expression of Nogo-A was associated with myelinated axon tracts and up-regulated in oligodendrocytes during RGC axon regeneration. NgR became up-regulated in RGCs following optic nerve injury. In in vitro studies, Nogo-A-Fc failed to inhibit growth of lizard RGC axons. The inhibitor of pkA activity, KT5720 blocked growth of lizard RGC axons on substrates of Nogo-A-Fc, but not laminin. On patterned substrates of Nogo-A-Fc, KT5720 caused restriction of axon growth to areas devoid of Nogo-A-Fc. cAMP levels were elevated over sustained periods in lizard RGCs following optic nerve lesion. We conclude that Nogo-A and NgR are expressed in a mammalian-like pattern and up-regulated following optic nerve injury, but presence of Nogo-A does not inhibit RGC axon regeneration in the lizard visual pathway. The results of outgrowth assays suggest that outgrowth-promoting substrates and activation of the cAMP/pkA signaling pathway play a key role in spontaneous lizard retinal axon regeneration in the presence of Nogo-A. Restriction of axon growth by patterned Nogo-A-Fc substrates suggests that Nogo-A may contribute to axon guidance in the lizard visual system.

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The Sox family of genes shares a high sequence similarity with the HMG box region of the human Y chromosomal gene, SRY. We used highly degenerate primers to clone and sequence seven Eremias breuchleyi Sox genes (EbSox2, EbSox3, EbSox4, EbSox11, EbSox12, EbSox14 and EbSox21). A database search for the cloned sequences revealed the following percentage identity with the homologous human SOX genes: EbSox2 = 96%, EbSox3 = 88%, EbSox4 = 94%, EbSox11 = 99%, EbSox12 = 96%, EbSox14 = 98%, EbSox21 = 97%. Cluster analysis indicates that they seem to belong to group B and group C of Sox gene family, respectively.

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In this study, we re-examine the Darevskia parvula group comprehensively using morphology, osteology and mitochondrial phylogeny, and describe a new endemic species from Turkey: Darevskia tuniyevi sp. nov. A total of 257 adult specimens were evaluated for external morphology (scalation and biometry) with univariate (descriptive statistics and ANOVA with post-hoc tests) and multivariate (Discriminant Analysis and ANOSIM) analyses. In parallel, osteological data and molecular analyses using three DNA markers (mitochondrial 16S rRNA and Cyt-b, nuclear Rag-1) were used to complete the description of the new taxon. The molecular phylogenetic analyses indicated that the D. parvula group is composed of three taxa as D. parvula, D. adjarica and D. tuniyevi sp. nov., and showed that D. adjarica and D. tuniyevi sp. nov. are reciprocal sister taxa. On the other hand, D. adjarica is morphologically very different from other two forms, while D. parvula is hardly distinguishable externally from D. tuniyevi sp. nov. Therefore, we can consider that D. parvula and D. tuniyevi sp. nov. are cryptic species. These two cryptic species retain their primitive morphology within the group, while D. adjarica has changed, perhaps due to different bioclimatic conditions in its Pleistocene refuge and current area.

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The cells-of-origin and the mode and site of termination of the interhemispheric connections passing through the anterior and posterior pallid commissures in the telencephalon of two lizards (Podarcis hispanica and Gallotia stehlinii) were investigated by studying the anterograde and retrograde transport of unilaterally injected horseradish peroxidase. The commissural projections arise mainly from pyramidal cells in the medial, dorsomedial, and dorsal cortices (medial subfield). Additionally some non-pyramidal neurons in the medial and dorsal cortices contribute to the commissural system. Medial cortex neurons project to the contralateral anterior septum through the anterior pallial commissure. The dorsomedial cortex projects contralaterally via the anterior pallid commissure to the dorsolateral septum and to the medial, dorsomedial, and dorsal cortices. The projection to the medial cortex terminates in two bands at the inner and outer border, respectively, of the cell layer; the projection to the dorsomedial and dorsal cortex ends in a zone in layer 1 which previously has been described to be Timm-negative, and in a diffuse band in the inner half of layer 3. The medial subfield of the dorsal cortex projects through the anterior pallial commissure to the dorsomedial and dorsal cortices with a similar pattern of termination to that found for the dorsomedial cortex. The posterior pallial commissure contains only the projections from the ventral cortex to ist contralateral counterpart and to the ventral part of the caudal medial cortex. The similarities found between this commissural system and the mammalian hippocampal interhemispheric connections are discussed.

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Climate-modulated parasitism is driven by a range of factors, yet the spatial and temporal variability of this relationship has received scant attention in wild vertebrate hosts. Moreover, most prior studies overlooked the intraspecific differences across host morphotypes, which impedes a full understanding of the climate–parasitism relationship. In the common lizard (Zootoca vivipara), females exhibit three colour morphs: yellow (Y-females), orange (O-females) and mixed (mixture of yellow and orange, M-females). Zootoca vivipara i s a lso i nfested w ith a n e ctoparasite (Ophionyssus mites). We therefore used this model system to examine the intraspecific response of hosts to parasitism under climate change. We found infestation probability to differ across colour morphs at both spatial (10 sites) and temporal (20 years) scales: M-females had lower parasite infestations than Y-and O-females at lower temperatures, but became more susceptible to parasites as temperature increased. The advantage of M-females at low temperatures was counterbalanced by their higher mortality rates thereafter, which suggests a morph-dependent trade-off between resistance to parasites and host survival. Furthermore, significant interactions between colour morphs and temperature indicate that the relationship between parasite infestations and climate warming was contingent on host morphotypes. Parasite infestations increased with temperature for most morphs, but displayed morph-specific rates. Finally, infested M-females had higher reductions in survival rates than infested Y-or O-females, which implies a potential loss of intraspecific diversity within populations as parasitism and temperatures rise. Overall, we found parasitism increases with warming temperatures, but this relationship is modulated by host morphotypes and an interaction with temperature. We suggest that epidemiological models incorporate intraspecific diversity within species for better understanding the dynamics of wildlife diseases under climate warming.

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Eremias argus, which specifically inhabits riverside or coastal sand dune, is an endangered species designated by the Ministry of Environment of Korea because it has been drastically decreasing due to the destruction of habitat and the human activities. Therefore, it is required to prepare a countermeasure for the strategic and systematic solutions for the conservation of the E. argus. This study analyzed mtDNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of E. argus inhabiting Yoobu-do island and Sohwang sand dune. This study aims to provide fundamental genetic information through phylogeographical analysis between two regions. Of 11 individuals of E. argus used in the analysis, the total 652~656 bp of mtDNA COI genes for 3 individuals of Takydromus wolteri as `out group` were analyzed. Intraspecific genetic distance for E. argus was shown to be the same result of 0.000. As for T. wolteri, it was 0.005, showing very similar result. T. wolteri inhabiting Gapcheon stream in Daejeon metropolitan city was found to be the highest intraspecific genetic distance (0.008). The NJ tree of E. argus and T. wolteri indicated there was almost no genetic difference between habitat for E. argus. For T. wolteri, however, there was slight difference between the individuals inhabiting Yoobu-do island and those inhabiting Gapcheon stream in Daejeon metropolitan city. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare conservation strategies to increase genetic diversity of E. argus in Yoobudo island in the future because it is highly presumed that the population of E. argus in Yoobu-do island have been flown from nearby coastal sand dune.

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The present paper presents the results of a study focused on one of the most important herpetofaunal areas from Romania, the Macin Mountains. Twelve amphibian (Triturus dobrogicus, Lissotriton vulgaris, Bombina bombina, Pelobates fuscus, Pelobates syriacus balcanicus, Hyla arborea, Bufo viridis, Bufo bufo, Pelophylax lessonae, Pelophylax ridibundus, Pelophylax kl. esculentus, Rana dalmatina) and thirteen reptile (Emys orbicularis, Testudo graeca ibera, Ablepharus kitaibelli stepaneki, Podarcis tauricus, Lacerta viridis, Lacerta trilineata dobrogica, Natrix natrix, Natrix tessellata, Dolichophis caspius, Zamenis longissimus, Elaphe sauromates, Coronella austriaca, Vipera ammodytes montandoni) species or subspecies have been identified in the research area. Pelobates syriacus, Pelobates fuscus, Pelophylax lessonae and Pelophylax kl. esculentus have been recorded for the first time in the region. Precise distribution maps were made for all the identified species/subspecies and the local status and endangering factors of the species is discussed.

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The analysis of cytb of mitochondrial DNA (1143 bp) in Lacerta media was carried out using 34 individuals from 19 localities. Special attention was paid to previously unexplored populations on the northern border of the range within the North Caucasus and Western Transcaucasia. Two types of dendrograms of phylogenetic relations (Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood) were reconstructed, showing identical topology. Phylogenetic reconstruction identifies four supported clades. Similarly, four haplogroups are distinguished on the median network of haplotypes. The populations of the eastern part of the Armenian Highlands and the Northern Za- gros are distinguished at earlier stages of the process of phylogeny L. m. media. Subsequently, the populations of the central part of the Armenian Highlands, the Greater Caucasus, and, at the final stage, the Central Za- gros and the eastern part of the Asia Minor Highlands become isolated. The data obtained do not confirm the scenario of dispersal of the nominative subspecies from west to east and northeast, proposed by Ahmadza- deh et al. Instead, we consider the opposite direction – from east to north, south, and west. Two geographical regions were identified where representatives of several clades/haplogroups live, is the Armenian Highlands and the Zagros Mountains.

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The investigation in the population structure of the western subspecies of the multicolored lizard (Eremias arguta deserti Gmelin, 1789) was carried out in semi-deserts of the Lower Volga region. The purpose of the study was to find out the features of the population morphometric data. The main research methods: measuring the length of the trunk and tail with an accuracy of up to a millimeter, statistical data processing using the Kolmogorov – Smirnov test in the STATISTICA 12 program. Statistical analysis showed the presence of sexual dimorphism in the population in terms of body parameters: the length of the tail of males is significantly greater than that of females. The calculation of the statistical significance of the differences be- tween the average length of the trunk and the length of the tail confirmed that males and females have longer tails than the trunk. Yet sexually mature males and females do not differ signifi- cantly from each other in terms of body size. At the same time, females have a certain variability of morphometric data, which serves as one of the main indicators of intra-population variability.

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An analysis of the spatial distribution of green lizards of the genus Lacerta in Dagestan is given. The distribu- tion ranges of L. agilis, L. media, and L. strigata are specified and detailed. A set of vector (points of records) and raster synthetic maps are created, reflecting the spatial distribution of species. Bioclimatic modeling of habitat suitability is carried out. The minimum overlap of ecological (eco-climatic) niches is noted for L. me- dia with all species studied, the maximum in L. agilis and L. strigata.

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The projection pattern of the ventral thalamic reticular nucleus onto the dorsal thalamus was studied in the lizard Gallotia galloti using in vitro horseradish peroxidase and fluorescent carbocyanine labelling techniques. Localized label deposits at three dorsoventrally spaced sites in the dorsal thalamus elicited retrograde transport into separate, though partly overlapping, medial, dorsolateral and ventrolateral sectors within an extended cytoarchjtectonic complex which may be globally identifiable as the reticular nucleus. Neurons found in the dorsolateral and ventrolateral sectors mainly corresponded to the cell group named nucleus ventromedialis (or nucleus of the dorsal supraoptic decussation) in the literature, whereas neurons labelled in the medial sector corresponded to the so-called dorsal hypothalamic nucleus. Sparser cells appear labelled in the superficially placed nucleus suprapeduncularis. Thalamotelencephalic fibers arising from the injected dorsal thalamic nuclei also project to the corresponding retrogradely labeled sectors within the reticular nucleus. These findings reveal a rough topographic organization in the connections of the extended reticular nucleus complex with the whole dorsal thalamus. This supports the hypothesis of hodological homology between this ventral thalamic formation in Gallotia and the mammalian thalamic reticular nucleus.

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Climate change is causing the geographical ranges of some species to track suitable conditions. Habitat specialists, range-restricted species and species with limited dispersal abilities may be unable to track changing conditions, increasing their extinction risk. In response to changing conditions and speciesmovement patterns, there is a need to account for the effects of climate change when designing protected areas and identifying potential climate refugia.We used ecological niche models projected into future climates to identify potential impacts of climate change on the distribution of 11 rupicolous reptile species in the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa. Lygodactylus incognitus, Lygodactylus soutpansbergensis, Platysaurus relictus and Vhembelacerta rupicola were identified as being vulnerable to climate change due to substantial reductions in suitable habitat and low spatial overlap between current and future niche envelopes. We identified areas of high conservation importance for the persistence of these species under present-day and projected future conditions. The western Soutpansberg was identified as an area of high conservation priority as it is a potential refuge under future projections. Projecting distributions of vulnerable species into future climate predictions can guide future research and identify potential refugia that will best conserve species with restricted ranges in a world with climate change.

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This work is a study of the distribution pattern of calbindin-D28k, calretinin, and parvalbumin in the diencephalic alar plate of a reptile, the lizard Psammodromus algirus, by using the prosomeric model (Puelles [1995] Brain Behav Evol 46:319–337), which divides the alar plate of the diencephalon into the caudorostrally arranged pretectum (p1), dorsal thalamus plus epithalamus (p2), and ventral thalamus (p3). Calbindin and calretinin are more extensively expressed in the dorsal thalamus than in the neighboring alar regions, and therefore these calcium-binding proteins are particularly suitable markers for delimiting the dorsal thalamus/epithalamus complex from the ventral thalamus and the pretectum. Conversely, parvalbumin is more intensely expressed in the pretectum and ventral thalamus than in the dorsal thalamus/epithalamus complex. Within the dorsal thalamus, calciumbinding protein immunoreactivity reveals a three-tiered division. The pretectum displays the most intense expression of parvalbumin within the diencephalon. Virtually all nuclei in the three sectors of the pretectum (commissural, juxtacommissural, and precommissural) present strong to moderate expression of parvalbumin. We compare the distribution of calcium-binding proteins in the diencephalon of Psammodromus with other vertebrates, with mammals in particular, and suggest that the middle and ventral tiers of the reptilian dorsal thalamus may be comparable to nonspecific or plurimodal posterior/intralaminar thalamic nuclei in mammals, on the basis of the calcium-binding protein expression patterns, as well as the hodological and embryological data in the literature.

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This study examines in detail the sequences of morphological differentiation and deduces mode of migration into specific layers of all types of neurons present in the optic tectum of the lizard Gallotia galloti. It complements previous similar work on tectal histogenesis in the chick. It was found that the neuronal population diversity in the lizard tectum can be reduced by developmental analysis to three neuroblast classes, called Types I, II and III. These classes correspond closely to those present in the developing avian tectum. Neurons belonging to each developmental class were characterized by their initial polarity, mode of translocation into the mantle layer and pattern of sprouting of primary axonal and dendritic processes. Each class produced along time a subset of the cell types distinguished in the mature tectum. Some aspects of sauropsidian tectal histogenesis are also common of other vertebrates, suggesting that fundamental mechanisms of tectal neuronal differentiation are conserved in tetrapods. Analysis of evolutive differences of tectal structure points to changes affecting the layering and perhaps the population size of specific cell types. Whereas tectal cell-type homology can be easily fundamented on embryological evidence and seems to be consistent with hodological and, to some extent, functional homology, the periventricular, central and superficial strata of the tectum are heterogeneous in cellular composition in different species and therefore represent analogous, rather than homologous entities.

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The ultrastructure of hemopoietic bone marrow of the Spanish lizard, Lacerta hispanica, has been studied for the first time. The organ consists of a stroma formed by venous sinuses and reticular cells. Erythropoiesis takes place in the lumen of blood vessels, while granulopoiesis is extravascular. Pluripotent stem cells are structurally differentiated into erythrocytes and granulocytes. Two types of granulocytes, heterophils and acidophils, have been found, and a third granular cell type is tentatively identified as granular leukocyte. Remarkably, plasmacytopoiesis occurs in the bone marrow of Lacerta hispanica. The possible functional significance of these results is discussed with emphasis on their importance for the reptilian immune system.

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The aim of the present study is to provide a complete description of the distribution of Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunoreactivity (i) in the brain of the lizard Gallotia galloti, on the basis of two different primary antisera: rat anti-ChAT and rabbit anti-chicken CUT. Considering that the brain is a segmented structure, we have analysed our data with respect to transverse segmental domains (or neuromeres), which have been previously described by several authors in the brain of vertebrates. In the telencephalon, ChATi neurons are seen in the cortex, anterior dorsal ventricular ridge, basal ganglia, diagonal band, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Further caudally, ChATi cell bodies are located in the preoptic area, hypothalamus, habenula, isthmus, and all motor efferent centers of the brainstem and spinal cord. Plexuses of ChATi fibers are observed in the areas containing cholinergic cell bodies. In addition, distinct plexuses are found in the cortex, the posterior dorsal ventricular ridge, the neuropiles of all primary visual centers of the diencephalon and mesencephalon, and several non-visual nuclei of the brainstem. The distribution of ChAT immunoreactivity in the brain of G. galloti resembles in many respects that of other vertebrates, and differences are mainly observed in the pretectum and midbrain tectum. Transverse segmental domains were identified in the brainstem and forebrain of Gallotia when the cranial nerve roots and fiber tracts were used as a reference, and most cranial motor nuclei were found to occupy the same segmental positions as have been reported in the chick.

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Afficients to the habenular complex were studied by means of in vitro horseradish peroxidase retrograde labeling and anterograde control experiments in the lizard Gallotia galloti. The medial habenular nucleus was found to receive abundant afferent fibers from the nucleus of the posterior pallia] commissure and the nucleus scptalis impar. More restricted input comes from the nucleus eminen- tiac thalami and the nucleus of the stria medullaris. The lateral habenular nucleus is innervated by various fiber groups originating from the bed nucleus of the anterior commissure, the diagonal band nucleus, the lateral preoptic area, the anteriorentopcduncular nucleus, the lateral hypothalamic and mammillary areas, the nucleus of the stria medullaris. the area tegmentalis vcntralis and a scattered neuronal subpopulation in the large-celled dorsolateral nucleus of the dorsal thalamus. Habenulopctal fibers generally follow the stria medullaris, but hypothalamic, entopcduncularand dorsal thalamic afferents course through the dorsal peduncle of the lateral forebrain bundle in a transthalamic route. Mesencephalic ventral tegmental afferents ascend through the tractus retroflexus.

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In a previous study we found a seasonal distribution of cell proliferation (the first stage of adult neurogenesis) in the telencephalic ventricular walls of the adult Gallotia galloti lizard. The aimof the present work was to determine the influence of seasonality on the subsequent migration of the resulting immature neurons. We used wild animals injected with bromodeoxyuridine and kept in captivity within 30 days. To confirm the neuronal identity of these cells, we used double immunohistochemical 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and doublecortin (DCX, an early neuronal marker) labeling, as well as autoradiography after the administration of methyl-[3H] thymidine ([3H]T).We foundthat: (1) therateofcell division and/ormigration fromthe ventricular walls varied with the season, especially in regions related with olfaction. (2) Immature neuronlike cells appeared to migrate in an apparently radial and tangential way towards different parts of the telencephalic parenchyma. (3) We didnot observeultrastructurallymature neuronsuntil at least 90 days later, a period considerably greater than that reported for other species of vertebrates in similar studies.

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Background: The accumulation of repetitive sequences such as microsatellites during the differentiation of sex chromosomes has not been studied in most squamate reptiles (lizards, amphisbaenians and snakes), a group which has a large diversity of sex determining systems. It is known that the Bkm repeats containing tandem arrays of GATA tetranucleotides are highly accumulated on the degenerated W chromosomes in advanced snakes. Similar, potentially homologous, repetitive sequences were found on sex chromosomes in other vertebrates. Using FISH with probes containing all possible mono-, di-, and tri-nucleotide sequences and GATA, we studied the genome distribution of microsatellite repeats on sex chromosomes in two lizard species (the gecko Coleonyx elegans and the lacertid Eremias velox) with independently evolved sex chromosomes. The gecko possesses heteromorphic euchromatic sex chromosomes, while sex chromosomes in the lacertid are homomorphic and the W chromosome is highly heterochromatic. Our aim was to test whether microsatellite distribution on sex chromosomes corresponds to the stage of their heteromorphism or heterochromatinization. Moreover, because the lizards lie phylogenetically between snakes and other vertebrates with the Bkm-related repeats on sex chromosomes, the knowledge of their repetitive sequence is informative for the determination of conserved versus convergently evolved repetitive sequences across vertebrate lineages. Results: Heteromorphic sex chromosomes of C. elegans do not show any sign of microsatellite accumulation. On the other hand, in E. velox, certain microsatellite sequences are extensively accumulated over the whole length or parts of the W chromosome, while others, including GATA, are absent on this heterochromatinized sex chromosome. Conclusion: The accumulation of microsatellite repeats corresponds to the stage of heterochromatinization of sex chromosomes rather than to their heteromorphism. The lack of GATA repeats on the sex chromosomes of both lizards suggests that the Bkm-related repeats on sex chromosomes in snakes and other vertebrates evolved convergently. The comparison of microsatellite sequences accumulated on sex chromosomes in E. velox and in other eukaryotic organisms suggests that historical contingency, not characteristics of particular sequences, plays a major role in the determination of which microsatellite sequence is accumulated on the sex chromosomes in a particular lineage.

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Lizard erythrocytic viruses ~LEVs! have previously been described in Lacerta monticola from Serra da Estrela, Portugal. Like other known erythrocytic viruses of heterothermic vertebrates, these viruses have never been adapted to cell cultures and remain uncharacterized at the molecular level. In this study, we made attempts to adapt the virus to cell cultures that resulted instead in the isolation of a previously undetected Ranavirus closely related to FV3. The Ranavirus was subsequently detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the blood of infected lizards using primers for a conserved portion of the Ranavirus major capsid protein gene. Electron microscopic study of the new Ranavirus disclosed, among other features, the presence of intranuclear viruses that may be related to an unrecognized intranuclear morphogenetic process. Attempts to detect by PCR a portion of the DNA polymerase gene of the LEV in infected lizard blood were successful. The recovered sequence had 65.2/69.4% nt/aa% homology with a previously detected sequence from a snake erythrocytic virus from Florida, which is ultrastructurally different from the studied LEV. These results further support the hypothesis that erythrocytic viruses are related to one another and may represent a new group of nucleocytoplasmic large deoxyriboviruses.

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Microscopy suggests that glutathione S-transferase is stored in large granules of myeloid cells in bone marrow and sparse granulocytes of the regenerating tail of lizard. Acta Zoologica (Stockolm). Tail regeneration in lizards occurs after an immune-privileged blastema and is formed where various immunosuppressive cells and biomolecules keep inflammation low. Molecules that limit inflammation may include glutathione and glutathione S-transferase (GST). These molecules reduce reactive oxidative species (ROS) and detoxify extraneous molecules. In the present study, the presence of GST has been analysed in the early phases of tail regeneration in the lizard Podarcis muralis. Using a rabbit polyclonal antibody directed against epitopes present in GST of P. muralis, a light and electron microscopy immunohistochemical and Western blotting study has been done. The study detected proteins of 25 and 32 kDa in pale-medium electron-dense and large granules present in promyelocytes and myelocytes of likely basophilic or eosinophilic fate that is present in the bone marrow of tail vertebrae. These cells are still proliferating and give rise to basophilic or eosinophilic granulocytes that also migrate into the regenerating tail. The enzyme stored in granules of promyelocytes and myelocytes is also localized in the cytoplasm of granulocytes present in the regenerating blastema-cone, basophilic or/and eosinophilic. It is suggested that these granulocytes in the blastema reduce ROS and detoxify potentially inflammatory metabolites, contributing with other molecules to limit inflammation and favour regeneration.

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hypothalamus, and also in peripheral tissues. Reproduction is a peripheral activity that is strongly influenced by a circadian clock in many organisms. Most mammals that exhibit a seasonal cycle are able to decode the daily changes in light across the year and to translate these in hormonal signals that regulate reproductive cycles. Expression of many clock genes has been revealed in mouse testis, although transcription of these genes seems to be constitutive in 24 h, suggesting that these genes may play in the testis a different role with regard to the central clockwork function. The seasonal breeding lizard Podarcis sicula represents an attractive model for studying some developmental and differentiation phenomena, such as gonadal maturation, since in the adult male the testis shows a spring full activity and a complete summer regression. Experimental data seem to suggest that in lizard the environmental factors, as photoperiod and temperature, affect the endogenous elements, although the interaction mechanisms are unknown. It is known that temperature signals have a direct influence on clock processes such as transcription, translation, protein phosphorylation and degradation. In addition, most data show that the expression of circadian clock genes, such as period2, is affected by length of photoperiod. In this way, the core clockwork may also decode seasonal information. Here we report the cloning, sequencing and bioinformatic analysis of period2 gene, isolated from the testis of lizard P. sicula, and its expression both in the testis and in other tissues during the different phases of the seasonal cycle. RT-PCR assays enlighten the presence of transcript in testis, brain, heart, liver and kidney in all the phases analysed. Moreover, real time quantitative PCR assays detect a peak of per2 testicular expression during gonadal regression. Our preliminary results cannot clearly demonstrate the involvement of per2 gene in seasonal reproductive cycle of male lizard P. sicula, but ist presence in the testis may suggest a role of this gene during spermatogenesis. Besides, our work can provide numerous starting points to clarify the role of per2 during seasonal reproductive cycle.

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Fifteen years have elapsed since the arrival of the invasive snake Hemorrhois hippocrepis to the island of Ibiza (Balearic Islands, Spain). In that time, the only endemic vertebrate, the Ibiza Wall Lizard (Podarcis pityusensis), has disappeared across half of the island, a subspecies restricted to an offshore islet has vanished, and its extinction in its native range is likely to happen in the next several years if managers do not implement conservation measures with alacrity and decisiveness. In light of these fndings, our re-assessment of the IUCN extinction risk category for this lizard shows that its risk status has increased by two levels since its last assessment in 2008, from Near Threatened to Endangered. We also classify this snake as producing a Massive (MA) impact under the Environmental Impact Classifcation for Alien Taxa. Lastly, we suggest six management measures to prevent the extinction of the majority of genetic and taxonomic diversity of this lizard on Ibiza, Formentera, and the numerous surrounding islets.

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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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Non-native wall lizards in Germany – Dispersal, legal framework, and recommendations for management
There are naturally two subspecies of the wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) in Germany: P. m. brongniardii in southwestern Germany and P. m. maculiventris-West only in the Inn Valley of Bavaria on the border with Austria. Of both lineages, numerous allochthonous (not native to the locality) occurrences are found scattered throughout Germany. The recognition characteristics of this lineages as well as of another frequently introduced lineage (Venetian lineage) are presented.
In the natural range, dispersals of individual populations were observed; shifts of the range margins did not occur. Known occurrences of alien wall lizards are spreading rapidly. The currently northernmost known occurrence is located at 53.37 °N at a dike culvert (Siel) in the North of Winsen (Luhe). Currently, at least one occurrence is known from 153 TK25 quadrants.
Wall lizards are only strictly protected in their native range, otherwise the regulations for non-native species apply. Non-native wall lizards are considered invasive, and allochthonous and hybrid populations should never be translocated. From a nature conservation perspective, measures to contain and control allochthonous populations seem to be necessary. Recommendations on how to manage non-native wall lizards are presented; these have already been created by the federal states of Bavaria, Lower Saxony, and Rhineland-Palatinate .

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Im Juni 2020 wurde am MegaHub Lehrte mit dem Güterumschlag zwischen Zug und Lkw begonnen. –Auf der innovativen Schnellumschlaganlage für den Kombinierten Verkehr verteilen drei Portalkräne die Container schnell, leise, energieeffizient und umweltfreundlich zwischen Schiene und Straße sowie zwischen Zügen. Neben der Technik fand auch die Natur neuen Raum. Nicht nur in „Eidechsenhausen“, auch in weiteren Schutzzonen und in umliegenden Ausgleichsflächen vor Ort tummeln sich streng geschützte Zauneidechsen und andere seltene Arten.

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Autotomy is a drastic antipredator defense consisting of the voluntary shedding of abody part to escape from the predators. The loss of a body part may impair loco-motion, feeding or mating, so animals may face a higher predation risk shortly afterautotomy. Thus, until regeneration is completed, prey may adjust their behavior toreduce predation risk, and this could involve secondary costs. We assessed theeffect of tail loss on the antipredator behavior of wall lizards (Podarcis muralis), comparing the behavior of tailed and tailless individuals exposed to a predatorysnake (Coronella austriaca) scent, under controlled experimental conditions. Taillesslizards spent significantly more time performing behaviors with antipredatory sig-nificance (e.g., moving slowly), whereas tailed individuals performed exploratorywalking for significantly more time. Moreover, tailless lizards spent more timebasking, which probably increases the effectiveness of their cryptic design and de-creases detection by predators. Lizards intensified the tongue flick rates when ex-posed to a pungent control or snake scents, as compared to their response to aneutral control. Besides, both tailed and tailless lizards intensified some aspects oftheir antipredator behavior (walking slowly and avoiding refuge use) when exposedto snake scent, which indicates discrimination of the smell of predatory snakes. Lizards decreased refuge use when exposed to predator scents, probably becausethe refuges are evaluated as unsafe due to a high concentration of snake scents. Toconclude, our experiments showed that, after losing their tails, wall lizards modifytheir behavior in a way that likely minimizes predation risk.

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New data on the boundaries of the range of the Lindholm lizard (Darevskia lindholmi), an endemic of the Crimean peninsula, are presented. The species is petrophilic and inhabits a wide range of biotopes in various landscape layers of the Crimean Mountains. The upper boundary of the distribution of D. lindholmi in the southwest of the Main Ridge of the Crimean Mountains reaches 1520 m above sea level. m. (Ai-Petrinskaya yayla, Mount Kemal-Egerek), while on other highlands with maximum heights of over 1.5 km, but colder climate (Babugan, Chatyrdag), the species was traced only up to 1250-1320 m above sea level. m. The northern border of the D. lindholmi range in the western part of the Crimean Mountains runs along the Outer piedmont ridge (right bank of the Alma River), while in the eastern one, along the last rock massifs of the Inner piedmont ridge north of 45 ° N. Isolated peripheral populations found in the forest-steppe or frigan-steppe landscapes of the Crimean foothills and the arid South-East coast differ significantly in their remoteness from the main range, the number and density of the lizard population. A hypothetical history of the formation of the current range of D. lindholmi is discussed.

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Currently, more than 58 skeletal anomalies and pathologies are known in the recent Squamata reptiles. In this paper, eight pathologies of a complex nature are described in Agamidae and Lacertidae: Paralaudakia caucasia (Eichwald, 1831) and Lacerta agilis Linnaeus, 1758. Description of tail pathologies was carried out based on the analysis of X-ray images and on the results of computer microtomography. In the specimen of P. caucasia (ЗИН 19116.1) complete ablation of the caudal vertebra was revealed, which provoked the detachment of chevron and the proliferation of soft tissues. In some Agamidae, after pseudoautotomy, partial ablation of the caudal vertebra occurs to promote wound healing. Complete ablation of the distal caudal vertebra has not been previously re- ported in literature. In females of L. agilis, deformation of the right transverse process of the vertebra with “false bifurcation” without the formation of a cartilaginous tube (VOLSU 98.2), scoliosis, hematoma and callus on the cartilaginous tube were noted, as well as the absence of an autotomy plane in the postpygal vertebra (ZIN 31549). An unusual pathology in L. agilis (ZIN 31549) is the absence of an autotomy plane in the postpigal vertebra and of its anterior neural spine. The loss of the plane of autotomy during ontogeny is characteristic of some Iguanidae, but it has not been previously noted in Lacertidae. The described cases of anomalies expand the spectrum of known pathologies in reptiles.

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Die Zauneidechse (Lacerta agilis LINNAEUS, 1758) ist unter den Eidechsen eine der am weitesten verbreiteten Arten Europas (Bischoff 1988). Auffällig in diesem Zusammenhang ist ihr nur lokales Auftreten in Italien (siehe Lapini et al. 1989, Corti & Lo Cascio 2002, Lapini & Dall’Asta, 2004 Sindaco et al. 2009). und das Fehlen der Art im Küstenbereich des Mittelmeers (z.b. Corti & Lo Cascio 2002, vgl. Karte in Bischoff 1988, Verbreitungskarte Lacerta agilis auf lacerta.de). Der Literatur sind aus drei, weit voneinander entfernt liegenden Provinzen Italiens entlang der Alpen Meldungen von Zauneidechsen zu entnehmen. Wobei die Frage ist, ob die Zauneidechse, wie von Rahmel (1991) angenommen, rezent in Südtirol (Alto Adige (Italien)) vorkommt oder historisch vorkam. Anhand einer Literaturrecherche, einer Recherche an Museumsmaterial, Auswertungen von Datenbanken und feldherpetologischer Begehungen wurde dieser Frage nachgegangen. Weiter wird der Frage nachgegangen, warum sich die Zauneidechse südlich des Alpenbogens nicht oder nur bedingt etablieren konnte. Der Mauereidechse Podarcis muralis (LAURENTI, 1768) wird in diesem Zusammenhang Bedeutung zugemessen.

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Die Mauereidechse (Podarcis muralis) ist eine in Europa weit verbreitete Echse, von der auch viele Populationen außerhalb ihrer natürlichen Vorkommen, einschließlich Nordamerikas, bekannt sind. In Polen wurde vor etwas zehn Jahren eine Population in Niederschlesien entdeckt. Weitere Nachforschungn brachten in der näheren Umgebung weitere Populationen zutage. In diesem Bericht wird eine kurze Zusammenfassung der Geschichte der Mauereidechse in Polen gegeben, ergänzt durch Bemerkungen zur aktuellen Situation der Populationen in der benachbarten Tschechischen Republik und Deutschland. Diese Populationen besitzen einzigartige Haplotypen, entsprechen darin aber den polnischen Populationen. Daher ist sehr wahrscheinlich, das es sich um allochthone Populationen in Polen handelt. Abschließend wird kurz über den aktuellen Zustand dieser Popularionen am Nordostrand ihres natürlichen Areals berichtet.

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A work by the Polish teacher and natural scientist JAN ALEKSANDER BAYGER (1867-1958) from 1909 is presented that has hitherto been overlooked by experts. BAYGER describes a subspecies of the sand lizard under the name Lacerta agilis L. var. Dzieduszyckii from the area around the city of Lviv, which today belongs to the Ukraine. This name is a synonym for Lacerta agilis chersonensis. In addition, the largely unknown outside of Poland J.A. BAYGER briefly introduced.

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GEORGI FEDOROWITSCH SUCHOW (1899-1942) was one of those researchers from the former Soviet Union who has been completely forgotten. This changed with the memories of his daughter NATALIA GEORGIEVNA SUKHOVA, published in 2015. Born in Ukraine, SUKHOV went to Leningrad in 1930, but did not get the hoped-for position as a scientist in the local herpetological department of the Zoological Museum of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. He was only hired as a museum guide. In February 1942 he died as a result of the siege of Leningrad by German troops. SUCHOW’S twelve herpetological works were almost exclusively devoted to the lacertid lizards. He described five new taxa, four of which are valid (Lacerta agilis tauridica, Lacerta agilis boemica, Apathya cappadocica urmiana und Timon kurdistanicus).

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Die Eidechsen Bulgariens und deren Lebensräume werden in Text und Bild vorgestellt. Die Autoren konnten auf mehreren Reisen neun der insgesamt zehn vorkommenden Lacertiden-Arten finden.

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Brief presentation of a partially melanistic male sand lizard (Lacerta agilis), which was observed near Lorsch on the Hessian Bergstrasse.

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Observations on a small population of the Common lizard Zootoca vivipara at the Baltic Sea. The lizards inhabited wooden fence posts directly at the steep coast exclusively.

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From 2012 to 2021, a total of 435 observations of reptiles were collected in the Special Area of Conservation of the Bardenas Reales (Navarre) and its surrounding area, corresponding to 15 autochthonous species. The observations were mapped on 5 x 5 km UTM grids, which allowed the distribution of these species in the area to be updated. Their pattern of presence can be summarised in three types of spatial occupation: ubiquitous species, species with a specific distribution in selective environments and species concentrated in restricted and specific areas. The Mediterranean scrub is the habitat with the highest number of observations (63 % of the records). The most widely represented lizard species was Psammodromus algirus (Linnaeus, 1758) (73.81 % of the squares), and the snake species, Natrix maura (Linnaeus, 1758) (38.10 %). Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758), favoured by a population monitoring and habitat improvement programme, was located in 16.67 % of the squares. The rarest species were Chalcides bedriagai (Boscá, 1880) (2.38 %) and Vipera latastei Boscá, 1878 (9. 52 %).

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Invasive snakes represent a serious threat to island biodiversity, being responsible for far-reaching impacts that are noticeably understudied, particularly regarding native reptiles. We analysed the impact of the invasive California kingsnake, Lampropeltis californiae—recently introduced in the Canary Islands—on the abundance of all endemic herpetofauna of the island of Gran Canaria. We quantified the density in invaded and uninvaded sites for the Gran Canaria giant lizard, Gallotia stehlini, the Gran Canaria skink, Chalcides sexlineatus, and Boettger’s wall gecko, Tarentola boettgeri. We used spatially explicit capture-recapture and distance-sampling methods for G. stehlini and active searches under rocks for the abundance of the other two reptiles. The abundance of all species was lower in invaded sites, with a reduction in the number of individuals greater than 90% for G. stehlini, greater than 80% for C. sexlineatus and greater than 50% for T. boettgeri in invaded sites. Our results illustrate the severe impact of L. californiae on the endemic herpetofauna of Gran Canaria and highlight the need for strengthened measures to manage this invasion. We also provide further evidence of the negative consequences of invasive snakes on island reptiles and emphasize the need for further research on this matter on islands worldwide.

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In the studied region we encountered 7 species of amphibian (Triturus dobrogicus, Triturus vulgaris, Bombina bombina, Pelobates fuscus, Pelobates syriacus, Epidalea (Bufo) viridis, Pelophylax (Rana) ridibundus) and 4 species of reptiles (Emys orbicularis, Lacerta agilis, Lacerta viridis, Natrix natrix). The herpetofauna of the studied region is one typical for the plain areas from Romania. Pelobates syriacus was recorded for the first time in Ialomiţa County.

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Reptiles are sensitive to temperature changes as ectotherm animals. The climate warming may pose more serious threat to reptiles. Although the behavior effect and reproduction biology have been well studied, little information is available about the adaptation mechanisms of reptiles to temperature stress. In this study, the native Chinese species, Eremias argus were incubated at 15 (cold stress), 25 (control group) and 35 C (thermal stress) for 24 h. The transcriptome and metabolome technology were applied to investigate the molecular regulation mechanisms of lizards to acute temperature changes. The CIRBP and HSPA8 were hub genes in response to temperature adaptation. The increased expression of PER gene in lizard circadian rhythm is associated with tyrosine metabolism after cold or thermal stress. The poly-unsaturated fatty acids in female lizard liver were significantly increased with up-regulation of FASN and ACACA genes after thermal stress, which proved the disruption of fatty acid biosynthesis pathway in corporation with the altered body weight. The cortisol and testosterone were important steroid hormones in response to temperature changes especially in male lizard liver. The increased CIRBP gene expression in lizard gonads suppressed the KDM6B gene, which regulates the testis development and may induce sex reversal in male lizard after thermal stress. The adaptation responses of lizards to temperature stress may threaten the health status of wild population.

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Mucous cells and enteroendocrine cells of the pyloric region of the ruin lizard (Podarcis sicula campestris De Betta) have been examined by lectin histochemical and immunohistochemical methods. Binding to five plant lectins (Canavalia ensijormis. Con A; Triticum vulgare. wheat germ, WGL; Lotus tetragonolobus, winged pea, WPL; Glycine max, soybean, SBL; Arachis hypogaea. peanut, PNL) was performed to characterize glycoconjugates in the secretory products of superficial and glandular mucous cells. Lectin histochemistry revealed the presence of N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, D-galactose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine in the pyloric superficial cells. Mucous glandular cells mainly contained neutral glycoproteins with terminal residues of galactose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine. These cells did not react with Con A after periodate oxidation-sodium borohydride reduction (Paradoxical Con A staining). In the pyloric glands three different types of endocrine cells were identified immunohistochemically: gastrin-, serotonin- and somatostatin-immunoreactive cells; VIP-. bombesin- or cholecystokinin-immunoreactive cells have not been found in the pyloric mucosa.

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We have studied the organization of the midbrain radial glia in embryos of Gallotia galloti using the fluorescent lipophilic dye 1,1_-dioctadecyl-3,3,3_,3_-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI) and the antibodies H5 and RC2. Our goal was to verify if the radial glia takes part in the midbrain boundaries formation and if it defines different zones. Our exam reveals two clear limits, anterior or mesencephalic–diencephalic (m/d) and posterior or mesencephalic–rhombencephalic (m/r), that can be defined as the borders where the midbrain radial glia processes end. Moreover, fasciculate radial glia processes characterize these limits totally or partially. They coincide with gene expression limits and with cytoarchitectonic limits defined by other criteria. Six different subdivisions, five alar and one basal, can be defined according to radial glia distribution, fasciculation, and immunohistochemical features. The ventral part of the alar region is defined by an RC2-positive bundle of radial glial cells. This bundle supposes a trustworthy landmark to point out the tectal/ tegmental boundary. We hypothesize that this pattern of midbrain radial glia represents a basic model in amniota.

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In male Podarcis s. sicula plasma, a sex steroid binding protein [SSBP(s)] binds testosterone (T) and estradiol-17 beta (E2) with moderate affinity (Kd = 0.23 +/- 0.08 x 10(-8) for 3H-E2, and 0.24 +/- 0.07 x 10(-8) for 3H-T) and high capacity. The SSBP binding affinity is unchanged throughout the sexual cycle, although its capacity is higher in nonreproductive males (winter and postreproductive period). This change may be related to changes in plasma T and E2 levels, and is likely to be involved in mechanisms whereby free steroid is delivered to target organs. SSBP, under isoelectrofocusing, is distributed between pH 5.5-6.5 and pH 7.1-7.5. The concentration of these two forms varies during the annual cycle.

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This study shows that in the liver of the oviparous lizard, Podarcis s. sicula, the estrogen receptor (ER) level increases during the reproductive period (spring) when vitellogenesis occurs. This phenomenon interested both unfilled and filled ER present in the cytosolic and nuclear fractions. The increase in unfilled cytosolic and filled nuclear receptor was positively correlated to the plasma level of vitellogenin. The level of liver ER approximated that of mammalian liver ER and, therefore, it is higher than that reported for the liver of several nonmammalian species. At electrofocusing, liver ER distributes in two pH ranges (pH 6.5-7.5 and 8.0-8.8, respectively). The first form predominated in nuclei of reproductive females or of spayed estrogenized females and could represent the activated form of receptor. Ovariectomy was followed by a decrease in liver ER which can be induced in spayed females by estradiol administration. Pituitary growth hormone (GH) seemed to exert a synergic effect on estradiol liver estrogen receptor regulation. In lizards treated both with estradiol and GH, in fact, there was a significant increase in nuclear filled ER rather than an increase in the level of total nuclear ER.

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The distribution of herpetofauna in large parts of mainland Greece has not been studied extensively. This study covers a poorly-known herpetological area in Thessaly Region - Lake Karla’s Plain. We conducted 59 field surveys during 12 consecutive years (2008–2019) and recorded a total of 26 herpetofauna species: 4 anuran amphibians and 22 reptiles (5 tortoises and terrapins, 7 lizards and 10 snakes). Our study brings updates regarding the presence, distribution and the main threats for the herpetofauna of Lake Karla’s Plain, with 17 species being recorded here for the first time, including an alien freshwater turtle, Trachemys scripta.

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Data on the reproduction of the rock lizard (Darevskia saxicola (Eversmann 1834)) in the gorges of Bol’shaya Laba (Karachay-Cherkessia) and Malaya Laba (Krasnodar Territory) rivers are presented. Gravid females of this species were captured in nature and transported to the laboratory. The animals were kept in captivity until oviposition. All eggs were obtained between July 20 and August 20. Breeding females had a body length of 42.5–60.1 mm. Hatches comprised 1–4 eggs 11.2–18.0 × 5.8–8.5 mm in size and weighing 0.185–0.535 g. Incubation in the laboratory lasted 38–47 days. Young lizards after hatching had a body length of 21.6–30.8 mm, tail 39.9–60.4 mm long, and weight of 0.375–0.635 g. A comparison of the reproductive characteristics of D. saxicola and syntopic species (D. derjugini (Nikolsky 1898) and D. pontica (Lantz et Cyren 1919)) was carried out. The late oviposition and relatively low fertility in the rock lizards are compen- sated for by the large size of eggs and newborn lizards.

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In response to a warming climate, many montane species are shifting upslope to track the emergence of preferred temperatures. Characterizing patterns of variation in metabolic, physiological, and thermal traits along an elevational gradient, and the plastic potential of these traits, is necessary to understand current and future responses to abiotic constraints at high elevations, including limited oxygen availability. We performed a transplant experiment with the upslope-colonizing common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) in which we measured nine aspects of thermal physiology and aerobic capacity in lizards from replicate low- (400 m above sea level [ASL]) and high-elevation (1700 m ASL) populations. We first measured traits at their elevation of origin and then transplanted half of each group to extreme high elevation (2900 m ASL; above the current elevational range limit of this species), where oxygen availability is reduced by ∼25% relative to sea level. After three weeks of acclimation, we again measured these traits in both the transplanted and control groups. The multivariate thermal-metabolic phenotypes of lizards originating from different elevations differed clearly when measured at the elevation of origin. For example, high-elevation lizards are more heat tolerant than low-elevation counterparts (countergradient variation). Yet, these phenotypes converged after exposure to reduced oxygen availability at extreme high elevation, suggesting limited plastic responses under this novel constraint. Our results suggest that high-elevation populations are well-suited to their oxygen environments, but that plasticity in the thermal-metabolic phenotype does not pre-adapt these populations to colonize more hypoxic environments at higher elevations.

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Despite the importance of reptiles in agroecosystems, little is known about the efects of agricultural intensifcation and pesticide use on these animals. We compared antioxidant and haematological biomarkers in the wild Italian wall lizards Podarcis siculus from three olive groves representing a gradient of management intensity. Lizards from the conventional grove showed induced antioxidant defences relative to those from the organic feld. However, this induction did not avoid the occurrence of oxidative stress in males from intensively managed olive groves, who showed TBARS levels 58%–133% higher than males from the other sites. Haematological responses also suggested increased stress in females from the intensively managed olive groves, with a heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio 5.3 to 14.8-fold higher than in the other sites. The observed stress responses of lizards along the studied gradient of agricultural management suggest their potential usefulness as non destructive biomarkers to environmental stressors associated with agricultural intensifcation.

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The influence of temperature on the physiological processes in reptiles is well known, for example growth, reproduction, muscular energy are all largely temperature dependent and therefore temperature is a key aspect of reptilian ecology. However, there may be constraints on the ability of reptiles to harness thermal energy, particularly during cold seasons in the temperate zones. Substrate selection is a key aspect in thermoregulation and can enhance heat uptake. For example, wood substrates are known to increase rates of heat gain in basking reptiles enabling earlier attainment of optimum body temperatures compared to other substrate types, which enables increased time available for other activities. In this paper we describe substrate use for basking in two species of lizard, Lacerta bilineata and Podarcis muralis in a hedgerow and suburban garden in western France compared against a null model of substrate availability. When different substrates were pooled based on their material similarities both species were recorded in greater frequency on wood based materials in comparison to their availability compared to non-wood substrates. However at a finer level, in comparison to substrate availability (fallen tree branches, tree stumps, open ground etc), P. muralis showed strong substrate selection for basking, whereas L. bilineata did not depart significantly from the null model. We speculated that intra-specific aggression in L. bilineata was a possible cause of this result due to dominant individuals limiting smaller or female lizards from accessing prime basking sites. Differences in communal basking between the two species supported this notion.

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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 distribution of melanistic specimens of Zootoca vivipara is analyzed for the entire range (based on the review of literature data and the available publications in the iNaturalist). Most of the indings in European countries are associated with mountainous landscapes, while in the eastern part of species range range melanistic specimens are associated with habitats with varying degrees of moisture or proximity to water bodies (ponds, rivers, marshes). A melanistic male (on 21.07.2012) and a female (on 16.07.1919) were recorded in the vicinity of the railway platform Karmanovo (Moscow Province, Taldomsky District: 56.695437° N, 37.192758° E); these specimens are uniform black with olive-yellow (olivaceo-lavus — Bondartzev, 1954) distal edges of the abdominal, femoral, preanal and tail shields. This partially melanistic colouration is however not considered as an abundism.

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Las nuevas técnicas de secuenciacón permiten la identificación de una gran cantidad de polimorfismos de un único nucleótido (SNPs), que pueden ser empleados para detectar el grado de variación en una muestra de individuos y aplicarse a estudios poblacionales. En este trabajo se analizaron 90 individuos del lacértido Iberolacerta monticola de la población presente en la ZEC Betanzos-Mandeo. Se empleó el pipeline de STACKS para obtener, a partir de las lecturas procesadas, un catálogo de loci, genotipar todos los individuos y llevar a cabo el análisis genético de la población. Previamente a la ejecución, se realizó una exploración del espacio paramétrico. Además, se elaboró una lista negra de loci para poder restringir los análisis poblacionales a loci autosómicos. El estudio concluye con la determinación de la estructura genética de la población, que permitió observar el grado de fragmentación y detectar barreras que pueden estar afectando a la supervivencia de la misma.