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Alto de São Bento is a granite hill near the city of Évora, with floristic, geological and landscape interest, having been declared a núcleo museológico (NMASB). In this study, the local herpetofaunistic diversity was evaluated, the results of which demonstrated the presence of 12 species of amphibians and 11 species of reptiles in the area. Salamandra salamandra and natterjack toad Epidalea calamita predominate in the sampled amphibians; the most common reptiles are the Psammodromus algirus and the gecko Tarentola mauritanica. Such a contribution of diversity seems regionally important, however the NMASB model does not seem efficient in ist conservation, so a redesign into an ecomuseum is suggested.

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Aim The ocellated lizards of the genus Timon, comprising six species that are distributed across continental Asia, Europe and Africa, offer an interesting model to study the evolution of ecological niches through comparative phyloclimatic analysis. Our study provides insights into the evolutionary history of the ocellated lizards and helps to understand the role of climatic niche evolution during the speciation process. Location Eastern and western margins of the Mediterranean basin. Methods A dated molecular phylogeny was estimated based on three mitochondrial and two nuclear genes. Using multivariate statistics, species distribution models were developed to characterize the Grinnellian niches of all species. Subsequently, ancestral environmental niche occupancy of each taxon was reconstructed using niche occupancy profiles. Niche divergence among species was quantified by computing multivariate niche overlaps via twodimensional and n-dimensional approaches. Results Phylogenetic analysis supports that the ancestor of Timon diverged into the eastern and western groups following multiple vicariance events that shaped the current distribution pattern of Palaearctic lizards. High complexity in the ecological niche evolution between the Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean climatic regions was detected. The generally low niche divergence among members of the eastern group and the remarkable climatic divergence within the western group highlight an important role of temperature seasonality in a Mediterranean and Atlantic climate context. The results also suggest niche conservatism in terms of microhabitats described by vegetation cover. Main conclusions The ocellated lizards provide an interesting example of a vertebrate radiation where niche shift (with or without vicariance) and niche conservatism alternate in different niche axes shaping current biogeographical patterns.

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Au 1er décembre 2009, la base de données herpétologiques de la Société des Sciences Naturelles de Tarn-et-Garonne comptait 2506 données géoréférencées. A partir de ces données, le présent article fait état de la répartition des Reptiles et Amphibiens dans le département de Tarn-et-Garonne et sur le secteur de la Forêt de Grésigne.

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Vorarbeiten über Schädlingsfauna der Kriehtieren (Reptilien) in der Türkei -- Die Kriehtiere leben meistens auf dem Lande. Viele sind Insektenfresser. Zahlreiche Arten nehmen tierische und pflanzliche, oder ausschliesslich pflanzliche Nahrung zu sich. Ihre wirtschaftliche Schäden an Kulturpflanzen sind gelegentlich. Die besonderen Arten von Pflanzenschädlingen, die in der Türkei leben, sind noch nicht genugend untersucht. Darüber findet man heute sehr wenige und nur zerstreute Veröffentlichungen und Beobachtungen in der Hand. In dieser Vorarbeit sind die bisheute bekannten pflanzenschädliche Arten von Kriehtieren bzw. Eidechsen und Schildkröten, in ihren Verbreitungsgebieten und ihre Nährpflanzen zum erstenmale zusammengestellt. Selbstverstândlioh sind darüber weitere und vertiefte Beobachtungen erforderlich. -- Die Arten der Eidechsen: Agama stellio L. (Schleuderschwanz). Verbreitung: Anatolien, Ankara (Ebner 1919, Kerville 1939). Nährpflanzen: Die süssen Früchten wie Feigen, Pfirsiche, Zuckermelonen, und andere Früohte, Salate, Lattichsalate.,- Agama stellio stellio L. Verbreitung: Süd - und west Türkei, Amasya, Nigde, Diyarbakir, Kayseri, Çanakkale (Bodenheimer 1946 und andere). Nährpflanzen: Wie bei Agama stellio L. -- Agama ruderata Oliv. (Ankara, Kerville 1939), Agama ruderata ruderata Oliv. Ankara, Eregli (Konya), Mardin, Nusaybin, Gaziantep und Malatya (Bodenheimer 1946), Eine Probe in Eregli (Konya) wurde vom Verfasser gefunden. Nährpflanzen: Noch nicht festgestellt, vielleicht wie bei Agama stellio L. -- Lacerta viridis Laur. var. major D. und B. (Srnaragdeidechse). Verbreitung: Westanatolien, andere Fundorte sind nicht bekannt. Nährpflanzen: Weintrauben, Feigen, Kirchen und andere süsse Früchten. Note: Noch mehrere Lacerta Arten wurden in der Türkei gefunden, ob sie pflanzliche Nahrung zu sich nehmen oder nicht, ist unklar. -- Die Arten der Schildkröten. Testudo graeca L. (Grichische Schildkröte). Verbreitung: Fast in allen Geblieten der Türkei. Nährpflanzen: Steppenpflanzen, junges Getreide - Baumwolle -Luzerne - Pflanzen, Gemüsen, Weintrauben, Blätter und Juruge Triebe von vielen jungen Pflanzen. -- Emys orbicularis L. (Surnpf-oder Europäische Schildkröte). Verbreuitung: Ankara (Kerville 1939), Manisa, Bursa, Kayseri, Eski¬sehir, Adapazari, Turhal (Bodenheimer 1946 und andere). Nährpflanzen: Wedntrauben, Zucker-und Wassermelonen. - Note: Noch andere Arten der Schâldknöten leben auch in der Türkei, aber ihre Nahrung ist nicht bekannt.

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Die landgebundenen Wirbeltiere des festländischen Iberiens (Süßwasserfische, Amphibien, Reptilien mit Ausnahme der Meeresschildkröten, Säugetiere mit Ausnahme der Chiroptera, Pinnipedia und Cetacea) bilden, wie im einzelnen gezeigt wird, in ihrer Gesamtheit eine besondere faunistische Einheit: ungefähr die Hälfte der Formen (Spezies oder Subspezies) ist endemisch; das gilt für 73 % der echten Süßwasserfische, 47 % der Amphibien, 36 % der Reptilien und 53 % der Säugetiere. Die geographische Isolierung durch die Pyrenäen und das Mittelmeer ist gewiß die Hauptursache für die Entwicklung einer so eigenartigen Fauna, aber auch andere Faktoren (die sehr verschiedenen Klimate und Biotope innerhalb Iberiens, der im Vergleich mit anderen Gebieten Europas geringere Einfluß der Vereisungen usw. haben sicher ebenfalls eine sehr wichtige Rolle gespielt. Acanthodactylus erythrurus erythrurus, Algyroides hidalgoi, Algyroides marchi marchi, Algyroides marchi niethammeri, Lacerta agilis agilis, Lacerta hispanica hispanica, Lacerta hispanica bocagei, Lacerta hispanica vaucheri, Lacerta lepida lepida, Lacerta lepida nevadensis, Lacerta monticola monticola, Lacerta monticola cantabrica, Lacerta monticola cyreni, Lacerta schreiberi, Lacerta viridis viridis, Lacerta vivipara, Psammodromus algirus algirus, Psammodromus hispanicus hispanicus, Psammodromus hispanicus edwardsianus.

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The determination of amphibians and reptiles species, their altitudinal range and biotopes in Les Planes de Son and the Mata de València, was determined by sampling the study area from autumn 2006 to spring of 2007. Compared to other studied Pyrenean areas, the herpetofauna is relatively poor. We only found 5 species of amphibians and 9 of reptiles. Specific samplings discard the presence of two Pyrenean endemics, de newt (Calotriton asper) and the lizard (Iberolacerta bonnali). Interestingly, we found an altitudinal replacement of ocelated lizard (Timon lepidus) by green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) and of Iberian rocky lizard (Podarcis hispanica) by Podarcis muralis. Less forested habitats situated at low altitude are the richest in amphibian and reptile species, in contrast to the highest places inhabited by few species (Rana temporaria, Podarcis muralis and Vipera aspis).

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We describe the blood and intestinal parasites in the Ocellated lizard, Lacerta lepida, examining the factors that determine the prevalence and intensity of infection of haemogregarines, and the prevalence of coccidia and nematodes. In relation to haemogregarines, no juveniles were detected as being infected, whereas 71.7 % of adults were infected. The prevalence of infection was positively related to the size of the adults. There were no differences between seasons or sexes in the prevalence or intensity of infection in adults. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of infection by nematodes between ages or sexes, nor in relation to the size of adult lizards, but adult lizards excreting coccidian oocysts tend to be smaller. During the mating period, reproductive activities lead to a decrease in the body condition. However, neither the intensity of haemogregarine’s infection nor the prevalence of intestinal parasites was related to the lizards’ body condition.

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The last catalogue of the Reptile collection of the Museu Bocage dates back to 1972. The collections were lost in a fire 25 years ago, so it was necessary to analyse the effort of various donors, who offered the Museum a new collection. The evaluation of the sampling effort is important to gather information (on quantity and origin) and the various samples of the species of lacertid lizards present in the Museum and enables an operational and practical visual imaged of that information. The obtained results prove that the study of the sampling effort using ordinary kriging method is robust and accurate on identifying gaps (under or no sampled areas) and a helpful tool to fulfil them. Although beginning to the representative of the Portuguese fauna, the lacertid collection of the Museu Bocage needs major improvements given that it still does not illustrate the actual distribution of lacertid lizards in Portugal. In order to stand for modern standards, when complementing the existing collection we must take into account not only the information provided by the analysis but also conservationist concerns (not killing animals) and the establishment of co-partnerships with congener institutions as well. Nowadays Museums have the duty, more than ever, to keep their collections well housed, cared for and accessible to the scientific community.

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Se describen formas axesuadas parásitas en el entoleio pulmonar de Lacerta Lepida y sexuadas en los hematíes del mismo animal, con técnicas de miscroscopía óptica y electrónica, de un hemococcidio diagnosticado como Karyolysus sp.

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I visited southern France to search for Timon lepidus for the third time in 1998. Sites visited included (among others) Maussane, Lac du Salagou and the surroundings of this lake, St. Rémy-de-Provence, the surrounding hills of Le petit Crau and Avignon. I did not find Timon lepidus this time, but did see Natrix maura, Malpolon monspessulanus, Lacerta bilineata, Podarcis muralis and many Psammodromus hispanicus. There were not very many amphibians visible because of the hot weather.

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The author describes a herpetological trip to Portugal organized by a travelling agency specialized in ecological trips. The group consisted ofeighteen people and was especially interested in reptiles and amphibians, though most of the participants were bird-watchers and nature-lovers too. Day by day the author describes the various reptiles and amphibians that were seen. A table is added, in which the num- bers represent the day the respective animals were spotted. The regions that were visited were: Sao Bras {day I), Guadiana river {day 2), Parque Natural da Ria Formosa (day 3), Huelva and Coto de Dofiana in Spain {day 4), Lagoa and the Monchique (day 5), the rocky coast of Carrapateira, Cabo de Sao Vicente (day 6), Almarjao, close to Sao Bras (day 7). Three species of newts and salamanders were seen, eight species of frogs and toads, two species of turt- les, ten species of lizards and five species of snakes. A list was made of the insects, the birds (123 spe- cies) and plants that were seen. The trip was very successful, with regard to the inte- rest of the group

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The Ocellated Lizard is the largest Lacerrid. Males can grow up to 65 cm, females to slighdy less. They are brown to green with a pattem of small black dors (forming rosettes in juveniles) and several rows of blue spots on their sides. Males have very large heads, compared to rhe females. The nominate subspecies inhabits the lberian peninsula, sourhem France and northwestem ltaly. In southeastem Spain the subspecies Timon lepidus nevadensis is recognised. The lizards are found in dry, uncultiva- ted areas, preferably near a large stone or piles of stones. The author keeps his animals in outdoors enclosu- res for five months during the summer months. The indoor terraria measure at least 1.25x0.60x0. 65 cm (lxwxh) with a 10-15 cm layer of substrate, consisring o f a mixture o f loam, clay, garden soil and marl grit. The terraria are decarared with pie- ces of marl, branches and stubs, attached to the backside, artificial plants and some dry shrubs of for instanee heather, which the animals use to shed their skin. The terraria are illuminated with fluo- rescent lights, including those which produce UV- B light (for insrance Reptisun 5.0). Hearing is pro- vided by an iocandescent spotlight of 80-1 00 W. Passive ventilation is provided by one ventilation- grid near the bottom, close to the spotlight, in con- junction with another grid at the opposite side, near the top. Photoperiod is varied according to the normal cycles at this latitude. The animals stay insi- de from the end of September until mid-May. The outside enclosures average at 2.0xl.5x0.7 m (lxwxh) and are decorated like the indoor terraria. The pens are covered with plastic-coated wire net- ring, to prevent cats, rats and birds to prey on the animals. This netring is buried in the substrate as well, at a depth of 30 cm, to prevent rhe inhabi- tants ro escape and to keep unwanted burying guests out. The animals are preferentially kept in pairs; other combinations usually result in aggression and pos- sibly death. Other species (even Lacerta viridis) should nor be kept in combination with these ani- mals. Their daily activity can start as early as 9.00 a.m and can last to 11.00 p.m. Ocellared Lizards eat virrually all kinds of inverte- brares, including scorpions and large centipedes. In captivity they will eat all kind of insects, even large beetles. Calcium is ingested by eating marl-grit, water-soluble vitamins A and D3 (Davitamon AD aquosum) are added to the drinking-water, five drops in 50 ml. Riekets used to be a problem, espe- cially with juveniles. But after the animals were given marl-grit and vitamin D3 in the drinking- water, riekets was no Jonger encountered.

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During rhe winter, from the middle of December until the beginning of March, rhe spotlights are rurned off and the animals are visible only part of rhe time, some of them even hibernare. No food is given during this period, only water. After several weeks rnaring starts, during the last years ar rhe end of March, and will go on until rhe beginning of May. When rhe female has ro lay her eggs, she digs a tunnel of up to 30 cm length, with a larger hole at the end. Here she lays her eggs. The clutch rypi- cally consists of 5-24 eggs, although in one year the author found two durehes of 26 and 27 eggs from the same female. The eggs are incubated ar 28 (27-31) oewith moist vermiculite or perlire as sub- strate. lncubation can last between 74 and 100 days, but most often between 80 and 95 days. A table is given of the success-rare during the last eight years. The juveniles are raised in groups, all of the same clutch, and are fed all kind of insects. The receive more vitamins than the adults (5 drops in 10 mi) and marl-grit ad libitum. They are kept warm during the winter. lt is concluded that Ocellated Lizards are easy to keep and breed.

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The genus Timon currently comprises six species and is distributed in Europe, Asia and North Africa. The two European species are Timon nevadensis in south-eastern Spain and Timon lepidus in the rest of the Iberian Peninsula and parts of southern France (as well as an adjacent small area in Italy). There seems to be some intergrading between those two species. Two subspecies are recognized beside the nominate form Timon lepidus lepidus: Timon lepidus ibericus in north-eastern Iberia and Timon lepidus oteroi on Illa de Sálvora. Molecular research showed recently that five different lineages can be distinguished in Timon lepidus (MIRALDO et al. 2011). The various lineages differ to some extent in colour and pattern. Recently, PEEK (2011, 2017) reported a small-bodied form of T. lepidus from the north side of the Sierra de Gredos. Moreover there are two North African species of this genus, Timon pater and Timon tangitanus. Timon princeps and T. kurdistanicus inhabit regions in Asia, the former is found in Iran and the latter in Turkey, Iran and Iraq.

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In this article we provide new data of amphibians and reptiles distribution in Teruel province: 81 unpublished records. These records constitute the first observation for a given herpetological specie in a 10 km x 10 UTM square. As a result of a bibliographical review until January 2004, the species cited in Teruel province are 30: 8 species of amphibians and 22 of reptiles, one of these reptiles has been introduced, Trachemys scripta.

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Algyroides fitzingeri, Algyroides marchi, Algyroides moreoticus, Algyroides nigropunctatus, Lacerta agilis, Lacerta lepida, Lacerta princeps, Lacerta schreiberi, Lacerta strigata, Lacerta trilineata, Lacerta viridis, Lacerta andreanszkyi, Lacerta armeniaca, Lacerta bedriagae, Lacerta brandtii, Lacerta cappadocica, Lacerta caucasica, Lacerta chlorogaster, Lacerta cyanura, Lacerta danfordi, Lacerta derjugini, Lacerta dugesii, Lacerta fraasii, Lacerta graeca, Lacerta horvathi, Lacerta jayakari, Lacerta laevis, Lacerta monticola, Lacerta mosorensis, Lacerta oxycephala, Lacerta parva, Lacerta perspicillata, Lacerta praticola, Lacerta rudis, Lacerta saxicola, Lacerta vivipara, Gallotia atlantica, Gallotia galloti, Gallotia simonyi, Podarcis erhardii, Podarcis filfolensis, Podarcis hispanica, Podarcis lilfordi, Podarcis melisellensis, Podarcis milensis, Podarcis muralis, Podarcis peloponnesiaca, Podarcis pityusensis, Podarcis sicula, Podarcis taurica, Podarcis tiliguerta, Podarcis wagleriana, Psammodromus algirus, Psammodromus blanci, Psammodromus hispanicus, Psammodromus microdactylus.

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The structure of copulatory organs is used very widely in systematics, both for differentiating species and for working out relationships. Differences between taxa may arise from a variety of sources, including non-homology, differences in other parts of the animal, direct selection on copulatory organs, development of physical isolating mechanisms and pleiotropic events. Physical isolating mechanisms seem likely to account for the abrupt differences, involving size, asymmetry and simplifications, that are useful in distinguishing very similar lacertid species. Although these differences usually seem to arise at the end of a speciation event they can simultaneously be the initiating mechanism in a second one. Copulatory organs appear to have high inherent stability, probably resulting from frequent location in strongly homoeostatic environments, single function, insensitivity to niche shift and inertia due to the need to conform to the genitalia of the opposite sex. This stability may be overridden at times by direct selection on the organs themselves or pleiotropic events. Such changes tend to be retained because efficiency in copulation depends not on any absolute genital architecture but on close conformity of the organs. It is the combination of relative stability and tangible input of varied change, which tends to be retained, that so often makes these structures good indicators of relationship.

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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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Relationships of lacertid lizards were assessed on the basis of 84 primary and 112 binary characters drawn mainly from morphology, including features of the skeleton, external anatomy, various internal soft part systems and two aspects of behaviour. Among features not previously used, or not fully investigated before, are structure of the septomaxilla and nasal passages, arranged of the xiphisternal cartilages, mite pockets, kidney position, ulnar nerve arragement, thoracic fascia, aspects of the hemipenis and its associated muscles, female genitalia and jaw muscles. On the basis of parsimony analysis and compatibilty treatment of this character set, the Lacertidae fall into two main portions: A paraphyletic Palaearctic and Oriental group of primitive forms, from which is derived a holophyletic assemblage of Ethiopian and advanced Saharan and Eurasian taxa. The former group ist not fully resolvable, but Psammodromus and Gallotia appear to be sister groups and are probably related to Lacerta parva and L. fraasi and then L. brandtii, Podarcis appears to be related successively to L. andreanszkyi, the sister species L. dugesii and L. perspicillata, and perhaps L. danfordi and L. laevis. This assemblage may be related to archaeolacertas and Algyroides. The separation of Lacerta lepida, L. pater and L. princeps from the agilis group, based on chemical evidence, is weakly contradicted by morphology. Takydromus may be most closely related to L. vivipara, and L. jayakari and L. cyanura constitute the most likely sister group of the Ethiopian and advanced Saharo-Eurasian assemblage. Taxe in the Ethiopian and advanced SaharoEuroasian assemblage form a long essentially pectinate tree with relatively change between the side branches, except for a strong disjunction separating the more primitive from the more advanced taxa. Most of the former fall on two main branches, with ´Lacerta` australis and ´L.` rupicola possibly basal to them. 1. the Equatorial forest group containing Gastropholis, Bedriagaia, ´Lacerta` echinata, Adolfus, ´Lacerta` jacksoni and Holaspis. The first three of these constitute a holophyletic group and the same is probably true of the remainder. 2. Tropidosaura, Poromera and Nucras, the latter being the sister group of the more advanced forms. These include successively the Ethiopian Philochortus, Latastia, Ichnotropis and Heliobolus, Pseuderemias, Meroles and Aporosaura, and Pedioplanis, and then the Saharo-Eurasian Eremias, Acanthodactylus, Mesalina and Ophisops-Cabrita. It seems probable that the ancestors of modern Lacertidae arose in western Eurasia, where the family is known since the Palaeocene and is still represented there largely by quite primitive forms (89 species and seven nominal genera). The family later invaded Africa, perhaps first in the early or middle Miocene. Relatively primitive lacertids spread widely in largely mesic situations in the Ethiopian region, radiating to some extent (six present genera and 16 species) and producing Nucras and the related series of advaned groups (eight genera and 54 species) whoich show increasing adaptation to xeric environments. These genera tend to have heir most primitive species in the northeast and north of the Ethiopian region. The most advaned gave rise to the Saharo-Eurasian clade, now made up to Eremias, Acanthodactylus, Mesalina and Ophisops-Cabrita. This invaded the arid areas of North Africa and Eurasia, where it is presently represented by 70 species. Many morphological changes in increasingly advanced lacertids may be functionally related to the problems of survival in arid, hot, open environments. Considerable ecological parallelism exists in lacertids, with members of separate stocks occupying similar niches in different geographical areas. Morphological adaptations associated with these niches contribute significantly to the high levels of character homoplasy found in the family. There is also some correlation between the degree of niche differentiation in various groups and the quality of the phylogenies that can be produced from their physical characters. A number of morphological parallels exist between advaned lacertids and New World macroteiids. In the skull at least, advaned lacertids show a complex mixture of paedomorphosis and acceleration. Nomenclatorial changes are as follows: Cabrita is synonymised with Ophisops, necessitating a new name, Ophisops nictans, for Cabrita jerdonii. Aporosaura is synonymised with Meroles, Platyplacopus with Takydromus, and Bedriagaia with Gastropholis. ´Lacerta` (or Centromastyx) echinata is also transferred to the latter genus and Lacerta jacksoni to Adolfus. ´Lacerta` australis and ´L.` rupicola are put in a new genus, Australolacerta. It is recommended that Lacerta dugesii and L. perspicillata should not be placed in the otherwise very uniform genus Podarcis. Although clearly paraphyletic, Lacerta s. lat. Should be retained at least for the present and, if necessary putative relationships within it indicated by informal groups or subgenera.

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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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DNA sequence indicates the Lacertidae contain two subfamilies, Gallotiinae and Lacertinae, the latter comprising two monophyletic tribes, the Eremiadini of Africa and arid southwest and central Asia, and the Lacertini of Europe, northwest Africa and southwest and east Asia. Relationships within the 108 species of Lacertini are explored using mtDNA (291 bp cytochrome b; 329 bp 12S rRNA for 59 nominal species, and reanalysis of the data of Harris et al. 1998, and Fu 2000). The morphology of the tribe is reviewed and 64 of its characters (equivalent to 83 binary ones) also used to assess relationships. The Lacertini are assigned to 19 monophyletic units of 1 to 27 species, recognised here as the following genera (contents are indicated in brackets): Algyroides, Anatololacerta gen. nov. (L. danfordi group), Apathya (L. cappadocica group), Archaeolacerta (L. bedriagae), Dalmatolacerta gen. nov. (L. oxycephala), Darevskia (L. saxicola group), Dinarolacerta gen. nov. (L. mosorensis), Hellenolacerta gen. nov. (L. graeca), Iberolacerta (L. monticola group), Iranolacerta gen. nov. (L. brandtii and L. zagrosica), Lacerta s. str. (sand and green lizards, L. agilis group), Parvilacerta gen. nov. (L. parva and L. fraasii), Phoenicolacerta gen. nov. (L. laevis group), Podarcis (wall lizards), Scelarcis (L. perspicillata), Takydromus (Asian grass lizards), Teira (L. dugesii), Timon (ocellated lizards, L. lepida group) and Zootoca (L. vivipara). Both mtDNA and morphology indicate that Lacerta and Timon are sister taxa, and DNA suggests further possible relationships among genera (Fig. 1, p. 6). Neither DNA nor morphology indicates that the archaeolacertas (sometimes formalised as Archaeolacerta sens. lat.) form a clade. Instead, they are representatives of an ecomorph associated with living on rock exposures and using the narrow crevices that these contain. The Lacertidae probably arose in the European area, with the Gallotiinae later reaching Northwest Africa and the Canary Islands, and the ancestor of the Eremiadini invading Africa in the mid-Miocene. The Lacertini spread through much of their present European range and diversified, perhaps largely by repeated vicariance, around 12–16 My ago, producing the ancestors of the present mainly small-bodied genera, which then underwent often modest speciation. Three units spread more widely: the Lacerta-Timon clade of large-bodied lizards probably dispersed earliest, followed by Algyroides and then Podarcis. Overall, European Lacertidae show a pattern of repeated spread, often accompanied by restriction of previous groups. Expansion of Lacertini may have displaced earlier lacertid lineages from all or much of Europe; while spread of Podarcis may have restricted many other genera of Lacertini. The earlier expansion of the Lacerta-Timon clade probably did not have this effect, as difference in adult body size restricted competitive interaction with other forms. Several invasions of more distant areas also occurred: of East Asia by Takydromus over 10 My ago, and more recently of northwest Africa by Podarcis, Scelarcis and Timon, and Madeira by Teira. Relationships within the Eremiadini estimated from both mtDNA, and nDNA differ considerably from those based on morphology. They indicate relatively mesic forms may have diversified widely across Africa and given rise to at least three independent invasions of arid habitats. MtDNA also indicates that Lacerta andreanskyi belongs in the Eremiadini and may occupy a basal position there. It is assigned to a further new genus, Atlantolacerta gen. nov.

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Archaeolacerta s. l., in the currently utilized sense results to be a polyphyletic taxon, composed of three monophyletic and phylogenetically well differentiated taxa: a)-Archaeolacerta (s. str.) Mertens, 1921, which includes three species: A. bedriagae, A. oxycephala, and A. mosorensis, distributed by the northern part of the Central Mediterranean (Corsica, Sardinia, and west Balcanic Peninsula). His most related genera seem to be Teira (his adelphotaxon in our study), Apathya, and Omanosaura. b)-Iberolacerta gen. nov., with two subgenera: Iberolacerta s. str. and Pyrenesaura subgen. nov. includes six species: I. monticola, I. cyreni, I. bonnali, I. aranica, I. aurelioi, and I. horvathi. They are distributed by the mountains of Western Europe (Iberian Peninsula, Pyrenees, Central and Eastern Alps and the north of the Dinaric Chains). His adelphotaxon are the Caucasian and Near East species of Darevskia gen. nov. c)-The third taxa is Darevskia gen. nov., which includes the species of the `L.` saxicola complex besides `L.` derjugini, `L.` praticola, and `L.` chlorogaster. They are distributed by Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Near East. Other clear relationships among some taxa of the Eurasian Radiation [= `Eurasische linie` from (Mayer and Benyr, 1994)] have been found: Algyroides seems to be the sister group of the species considered of uncertain phylogenetic relationships belonging to the `L.` danfordi-laevis group and of Podarcis. `L.` brandtii seems to be a very primitive species within the Eurasian Radiation. Omanosaura and Apathya appear as sister taxa. `L.` graeca occupies a very basal position in the sister group of Podarcis and relatives (see above). `L.` andreanskyi is the sister species of the Darevskia nov. and Iberolacerta nov. clade. The assimilation of `L.` andreanskyi to Teira is very problematic. Also the `L.` parva group seems to be related to Timon. Some groups of species like `L.` brandtii, `L.` parva-fraasii and `L.` danfordi-laevis probably merit generic rank, but it is necessary a more deep study before to take a decision.

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Some remarkable altitudes of Lacerta bilineata (at 1740 and 1745 m) and Hierophis viridiflavus (at 2265 m) in the Catalan Pyrenees, and Timon lepidus (up to 1901 m) in Teleno Massif (Montes de León) are here presented.

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It is presented two instances of Lacertid nomenclature in which changes in the species names in func-tion of grammatical gender or number of the honored persons have been suggested. However Interna-tional Code of Zoological Nomenclature only rules to concord in gender the species name with the genus one. Whatever other change, reasonable or not, is an unjustified emendation, as nomenclatural priority is mandatory over grammatical correctness. Similar cases on reptile and amphibian nomenclature are also commented.

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In this paper we provide the first data on the distribution of amphibians and reptiles in the province of Guadalajara (Castilla – La Mancha, Spain). From a heropetological point of view Guadalajara is one of the most unknown provinces in Spain. At this time we have recorded 30 species, 15 of which were not previously cited in the area. Provisional maps of distribution are presented in 10 x 10 km U.T.M. squares. Acanthodactylus erythrurus, Lacerta lepida, Lacerta schreiberi, Podarcis hispanica, Podarcis muralis, Psammodromus algirus, Psammodromus hispanicus.

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The preliminary distribution of amphibians and reptiles of the Ciudad Real province (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain) is presented. Thirty-four species, 13 amphibians and 21 reptiles, have been found. For each species, distribution maps in 10 x 10 Km U.T.M. quadrats and a discussion on the distribution, habitat and threats affecting its conservation are provided. We conclude that the Ciudad Real province presents one of the richest herpetofauna of the Iberian Peninsula, despite the scarcity of Eurosiberian species. Among all the species present in Ciudad Real, the relative abundance of Emys orbicularis populations is especially relevant compared to the rest of Spain. Similarly, it is remarkable the presence of a newly discovered population of Hemidactylus turcicus in Castilla-La Mancha, which represents one of the most inland populations of this species in the Iberian Peninsula.

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The epidermal glands of lizards are considered an important source of semiochemicals involved in lizard communication. Many features of the lizard epidermal gland system vary among and within species (e.g., gland number, size, and shape), and some are believed to reflect the degree of intra- and interspecific variation in glandular secretion production, and by extension, the chemical signalling investment of lizards. Traditionally, herpetologists estimate secretion production based on the number of glands or the size of the glands, rather than quantifying the amount of secretion produced. Still, the reliability of these proxies for secretion production has never been validated. Here, I explored the relationship among secretion production (in mass), pore size (surface area, diameter), and gland number in three species of lacertid lizards (Acanthodactylus boskianus, Timon lepidus, Holaspis guentheri), and tested which proxies predicted secretion production variation best, and examined whether the same trend is true for all species. The findings of this study show that the total secretion production of lacertids is highly variable among and within species. Variation in secretion production among-species (but not within-species) could partly be explained by variation in body size. While both measures of pore size were positively related with secretion production, my tests revealed the model with only pore diameter as contributing variable explaining absolute secretion production variation (both within and across species) as the best one. Although gland number appeared a suboptimal estimate for secretion production in the three lacertids under study, only family-wide, multi-species comparative tests counting large within-species sample sizes can provide further insight on the matter.

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During the month of June 1980 the authors observed several species of amphibians and reptiles in Portugal. Notes are given on their habitat. Problems concerning the determination of some species of the genus Podarcis are discussed.

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Seit Juni 1992 wurden in Freilandterrarien Perleidechsen (Lacerta Pepita) gehalten. Die Tiere überwinterten auch im Freien, und am 21. September 1994 schlüpften hier 16 Jungtiere unter diesen seminatürlichen Bedingungen.

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We carried out a morphometric study of the skull throughout postnatal ontogeny in 14 species of Iberian lacertid lizards belonging to the genera Acanthodactylus, Algyroides, Psammodromus, Podarcis, Zootoca, Timon and Lacerta s. latu with the aim of elaborating a key of identification for the studies species. A total of sixty one characters showing interspecific variation are identified. The characters are defined in articulated and disarticulated skulls.

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We present the distribution of amphibians and reptiles in Burgos (Spain), expressed by UTM 10x10Km.The situation of the country lake an area with different herpetofauna populations is a very important success; there are european-atlantic herpetofauna and typical mediterranean also.

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An osteometric analysis of sacral and presacral regions in three species of iberian lizards (Lacerta lepida, L. schreiberi and L. viridis) has been carried out. For this purpose, 11 osteometric vertebral parameters were proposed, and some of the parameters used by other authors were revised. The topographical variation of the most significant parameters were described and several indices based on them were elaborated. Lacerta viridis differs considerably from L. schreiberi and L. lepida, both qualitatively and quantitatively, especially in the positions of the maximum and minimum for each parameter, and in the percentage of general elongation of the presacral vertebrae, more marked in L. viridis than in the other two species. The sexual and ontogenetic variations include qualitative and quantitative differences as well. A greater percentage of elongation of presacral vertebrae exists in the females. There is some sexual correlation of the existence oscillations in certain parameters (for example pre-postzygapophysis distance) along the vertebral axis (L. lepida and L. schreiberi). The relative height of the neurapophysis shows the most important ontogenetic variation. It is progressively enhanced with size. The vertebral widening that occurs in the last presacral zone is more marked in immature individuals. An interspecific vertebral diagnosis (of particular importance in the axis and sacrum) is proposed.

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Our present study is an inventory of Amphibians and Reptiles at region of Beni Aziz. The work involves the index of the presence / absence and distribution. The selected zones are: Mountainous site (Djebels) (Sd), cultivated Site (Sc) and humid Site (Oued El kebir ) (So), different methods are used: listens chants anuran, the dip netting for larvae and tadpoles, search streams, visual inventory of Amphibians and Reptiles, trapping (pot Berber) for lizards and amphibians, search under various objects for snakes. We recorded 7 Amphibians and 15 Reptiles. The results also include the biogeographic status, distribution and habitat. We have elaborated an illustrated catalog of existing species in conclusion.

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Fire is amongst one of the main ecological drivers, particularly in the Mediterranean. Despite being a fire-adapted region, over the last few years we have seen an increase in the frequency of this type of disturbance. In 2017, a large fire in Mata da Margaraça, located in a protected area in central Portugal, created an adequate opportunity to assess its impacts. In this study, we evaluated the effect of fire severity on the abundance, richness, and diversity of reptiles. Richness and diversity were not affected by the cline of fire severity. However, at species-specific level, Psammodromus algirus, a common lizard and habitat generalist Mediterranean species, had its abundance positively affected with the increase of fire severity. The absence of a linear response from this taxonomic group reinforces the need for further studies on post-fire response, key information for the design and implementation of mitigation measures in the future.

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For many years lizard thermal ecology studies have relied on the use of contact thermometry to obtain internal body temperature (Tb) of the animals. However, with progressing technology, an interest grew in using new, less invasive methods, such as InfraRed (IR) pyrometry and thermography, to infer Tb of reptiles. Nonetheless few studies have tested the reliability of these new tools. The present study tested the use of IR cameras as a non-invasive tool to infer Tb of lizards, using three differently body-sized lacertid species (Podarcis virescens, Lacerta schreiberi and Timon lepidus). Given the occurrence of regional heterothermy, we pairwise compared thermography readings of six body parts (snout, eye, head, dorsal, hind limb, tail base) to cloacal temperature (measured by a thermometer-associated thermocouple probe) commonly employed to measure Tb in field and lab studies. The results showed moderate to strong correlations (R2 = 0.84 − 0.99) between all body parts and cloacal temperature. However, despite the readings on the tail base showed the strongest correlation in all three species, it was the eye where the absolute values and pattern of temperature change most consistently followed the cloacal measurements. Hence, we concluded that the eye would be the body location whose IR camera readings more closely approximate that of the animal`s internal environment. Alternatively, other body parts can be used, provided that a careful calibration is carried out. We provide guidelines for future research using thermography to infer Tb of lizards.

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The present work studies the herpetological community of Caural (NW, of Spain): biogeography and ecology. Biogeography altitudinal distribution of species, altitudinal variation in abundance of species and stratification reflect a decrease with the altitude bound to climatic reasons and reproductivity in reptiles and to lesser heterogeneity of biotopes in amphibians. There is a greater altitudinal stratification of the subcommunity of amphibians than of reptiles. Ecology: the different physiological requirements of amphibians from land habitats and lizards are reflected in a temporal alternation (seasonal and daily) in the exploitation of the same trophical resource. The snakes occupy anoth trophical level (predators and superpredators) and the tritons live inanother habitat (subaquatic) with different resources and they have a different diet. The problem of interspecific competition is dealt with in two concrete cases: Lacertidae and Triturus. Great differences in size or corporal shape and behaviour permit coexistence but in the opposite case they separate themselves throughout the area, distributing the biotopes according to their physiological preferences. There are cases (Lacerta schreiberi and Triturus boscai) in which there appears to be a spatial displacement due to a diffuse competition with congenital species. One highlights the importance of the habitat in the food diet of some species, which becomes very clear comparing the tritons with the lizards and amphibians from land habitats. One questions the problem of stability and heterogeneity (climatic and spatial), competition and predation as factors which impel and influence the evolution of communities and species. In relation with studies realized in other areas we see that the herpetological community of Caurel represents the transition from the Mediterranean region to the European shore region, very much in accordance with the climatic and botanical characteristics of the zone, where the seasonality plays an important role just as the glaciarism appears to have determined a reptile community evolutionally young.

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In this work the actual state of knowledge on biogeography of amphibians and reptiles from Galicia is exposed in a synthetical way based upon distributional data gathered during the last 10 years. The geographic distribution of species and communities on latitudinal and altitudinal gradients indicates that climate and biotope are more important factors than latitude or altitude over sea. The presence of relict populations of eurosibirian taxa and the geographic distribution of endemism poit to the importance of climatic alterations during the Quaternary Age (Glaciarism). Thus, the eurosibirian taxa were driven towards Galicia following both the Cornice and the Cantabrian Chain as a mountains, giving rise to sub-especiation or speciation in allopatry of some endemisms. As the present data are poor we must consider our conclusions as a first hypothesis.

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In connectivity conservation and ecological network planning, the selection of focal fragmentationsensitive species represents a priority step. Nevertheless, despite their strategic role, selection of focal species has traditionally been carried out using charismatic and/or non objective approaches. In this way, actions of planning and conservation could be ineffective. Using as a case study Italian reptiles, we apply an expert-based approach for the selection of focal species on the basis of sensitivity to components of habitat fragmentation (habitat area reduction, increase of habitat isolation, increase of edge effect and landscape matrix disturbance) and of intrinsic ecological traits of the species (trophic level, dispersal ability, body size, niche breadth, rarity). The threshold values for each component of fragmentation defined a set of 21 focal species that can be divided into the three macro-components of human-induced habitat fragmentation (HIHF) towards which they show a sensitivity, the suitable spatial scale of populations and relative suitable habitat categories. Among these species, seven can be sampled easily with standard, low-cost field protocols. The selected species largely coincide with the species known in literature as fragmentation-sensitive.

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Discovery in the Vendée department (France) of the most northern known station of the Ocellated Lizard Timon lepidus in its geographic range -- It was by chance that an individual of the Ocellated Lizard Timon lepidus was observed in March 2018 on the state dunes of the Pays de Monts forest (Vendée, France). The National Forest Office, via it’s network of, has programmed a monitoring of what appears to be a real population of this large, but discreet species. Several individuals have been identified and a further study, more important, should be launched in 2023 to estimate the size of the population.

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The life history of an organism is the combination of age-specific survival probabilities and fecundities it displays in its natural environment. Hence, an organism`s life history is characterised by its age and size at maturity, frequency of reproduction, clutch or litter size, size of eggs and hatchlings, and survivorship at different life stages (as embryos, neonates, immatures, adults). Variation in these traits can be studied at different levels: within a population, among populations of a single species, and among different species. I here give an overview of studies that explored life history variation in European lacertid lizards.

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I am passionate on keeping and breeding Ocellated Lizards for many years. Here, I report on the construction of an outdoor terrarium and my first experiences of keeping lizards outdoors!

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This study used photo identification “capture-recapture” to monitor a population of ocellated lizards (Timon lepidus Daudin, 1802), providing the first data on the demography of this species in the wild. The monitoring was conducted over a period of six years in a valley of the Var River in southeast France, with an average rate of 25 visits per year. This resulted in 1870 exploitable photographs that allowed the identification of 138 different individuals along a 1,600m linear path. For the 114 lizards that were over the age of one, the life history data was analysed with MARK software using the Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS) model. This analysis enabled survival estimates – both annual and seasonal (mid-May to end of September versus October to mid-May) – for both sexes. Annual survival appears to be higher in males than in females (0.65 versus 0.48), with a life expectancy of 2.3 years for adult/subadult males and 1.4 years for adult/subadult females. During the winter period, monthly survival is close to 1 for both sexes. It is lower during the summer period: 0.92 in males and 0.87 in females. These survival and longevity rates are surprisingly low for a species of this size. However, they can be considered reliable given the high “recapture” (via photo identification) rates (between 0.465 ± 0.053 and 0.986 ± 0.014 in spring, lower in autumn) and the isolation of the study site.

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The list of amphibians and reptiles living in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur constitutes an inventory of up-to-date knowledge on herpetofauna. It contains 22 amphibian taxons and 41 reptile taxons. It also contains their regional distribution, a list of the relevant national, European, and international protection laws, as well as the conservation status of each species.

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The list of amphibians and reptiles living in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur constitutes an inventory of up-to-date knowledge on herpetofauna.

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Ocellated lizards from Tunisia and Spain respectively were hybridized. The hybrids proved to be much more aggressive than normal specimens but did not show any sexual activity among cach other Back crossing experiments revealed a strongly reduced fertility of the hybrids and demonstrated that the degree of genetic incompatibility by far exceeds the subspecific, i. c. infraspecific Ievel. The two forms are, thus, ranked here as allospecies: Lacerta pater LATASTE, 1880, and Lacerta lepida DAUDIN, 1802.

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The herpetological populations in the islands of Zembra and Zembretta -- An extensive research of the Reptilian fauna on these two islands was conducted through three expéditions by the Tunis Science Faculty. The islands of Zembra is populated by three species of lizards Psammodromus algirus (Lacertids), Chalcides ocellatus (Scincids) and Hemidactylus turcicus (Gekkonids) and the three species of Colubrid snakes: Malpolon monspessulanus, Macroprotodon cucullatus, Coluber hippocrepis. On the Island of Zembretta only the three species of lizards mentioned above were found. Their distribution and biotope were precised. Two sea turtles visit their costal waters: Caretta caretta (Chelonids) and Dermochelys coriacea (Dermochelyids). The terrestrial herpetofauna on Zembra and Zembretta displays the fundamental characteristics of an insular environment — spécific poorness: the western slopes of the Cap Bon tip include 11 Lacertids, 7 Ophids, 3 Chelonids and 6 Batrachian species. — individual abundance in the Zembra Lacertid populations and even more on Zembretta. — composition unbalance: some species would not find convenient biotops or preys on these two islands but the absence of a few others species cannot be ecologically explained.

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We have studies the femoral pores of 387 subjects belonging to five species of Lacertidae family (Reptilia) of the región of Andalucia (Spain): Lacerta hispanica Steind., Lacerta lepida Daud., Psammodromus algirus L., Psammodromus hispanicus Fitz., Acanthodactylus erythrurus Schinz. We have observed that these femoral pores have a big importance in the sexual dimorphism which can be observed in the subjects after the birth. Possibly they take part in the phenomenous connected with the territorial behaviour of animals.

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From 10/05/2014 to 05/17/2014 we traveled some selected areas in the south of France together with two terrarium friends. We have already known the lizards that occur in this area from former trips to other countries in southern Europe. Thus, our interest was in the following landscapes, outstanding by their particular circumstances, such as substrate, vegetation, moisture and color. Of course we also wanted to observe and photograph the resident reptiles and amphibians and in particular the „king“ of the Provence – the Ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus lepidus).

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The astroglial cells have been studied in the lizard spinal cord by means of metallic impregnations, immunohistochemical (glial fibrillary acidic protein) and ultrastructural methods. Three astroglial cell types have been immunohistochemically identified: ependymocytes, radial astrocytes and astrocytes. Transitional forms have also been observed. Scarce immunopositive ependymocytes were located in the dorsal and ventral regions of the ependyma. The radial astrocytic somata were located around the ependymal layer and their processes reached the subpial glia limitans. Typical astrocytes were the most abundant astroglial cell type; astrocytes located in the ventral horn showed a greater development than those of the dorsal horn. In the white matter, the astrocytes were large and their processes formed part of the subpial glia limitans; on some occasions, astrocytic cell bodies also formed part of this subpial limitans. Transitional elements between astrocytes and radial astrocytes were observed in both grey and white matter. The perivascular and subpial glia limitans were continuous and showed a strong immunoreactivity. The comparative analysis of our results in the lizard spinal cord with those in other vertebrate groups leads us to conclude that reptiles could represent the key group in the phylogenetic evolution of the astroglial cells in vertebrates.

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During a trip in the Algarve in the summer of 1987, a lot of amphibians and reptiles were seen. Of the amphibians Rona perezi and Bufo bufo spinosus were much more common than Pleuro- deles walt/ and Hyla meridiana/is. Mauremys caspica leprosa, E m ys orbicularis, T arentola mauritanica, Hemidactylus turcicus, Lacerta le- pida, Acamhodactylus erythrurus, Psammodro- mus algirus, Blanus cinereus, Chamaeleo cha- maeleon, Natrix maura were found alive. A dead Coluber hippocrepis and a skin of Elaphe sea/oris and Malpolon m onspessulanus were found. Short notes are given on the habitats of these ani- mals.

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Reptiles and amphibians in Portugal The author spend two weeks in July 2002 in Beira, Portugal. The following observations were made: Vale de Asna (Serra do Açor): the sound of several Alytes obstreticans boscai (probably), several Tarentola mauritanica, one Podarcis hispanica type 1, many Psammodromus algirus, several Chalcides chalcides striatus, larvae of Rana iberica, Triturus marmoratus marmoratus, Triturus helveticus sequeirai and Triturus boscai, one adult Rana perezi, one dead Bufo bufo, three Natrix maura (half-grown and adult). Waterfall of Sobral (Serra do Açor): many Psam-modromus algirus, several larvae, juvenile and adult Rana iberica, many juvenile Bufo bufo. Pena (Serra da Lousã): several Psammodromus algirus. Mata da Margaraça (Serra do Açor): several Psam-modromus algirus, one Podarcis hispanica (probably). Fraga de Pena (Serra do Açor): several larvae and two adult Rana iberica, one Natrix maura (probably), several larvae and three adult Chioglossa lusitanica. Serra da Estrela: Near the top of mount Torre (between 1750 and 1993 m): many Iberolacerta monticola monticola, many larvae of Bufo species, many adult Rana perezi, one adult Rana iberica, one adult Hyla arborea molleri. Around 1200 m, one adult and one juvenile Timon lepidus, one adult Lacerta schreiberi. At 1600 m one juvenile Lacerta schreiberi. Between Piódão and Foz d’Égua (Serra do Açor): one half-grown Natrix natrix astreptophora, one juvenile Natrix maura (probably newly hatched), several Psammodromus algirus and one adult Malpolon monspessulanus. It is stated that Portugal is a very interesting place for spotting reptiles and amphibians in nature.

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The eastern Pre-Pyrenees were prospected using 5x5 UTM square from 1974 to 1986. Nineteen reptiles were found. Their geographical and altimetric distribution is given, and its corology discussed taking into account other data from the Pyrenees. The topoclimatical effects and the particular disposition of the mountain range, are the key factors to understand the corology and the altimetric distribution of herpetofauna. The study area shows mediterranean elements as well as Pyrenean and mid-european ones. Cerdaña basin acts as a bndge between the herpetofauna from France and the more meridional species from Spain. The Segre nver divides the Pre-Pyrenees in two big biogeographical areas: the eastem one very close to axial Pyrenees and characterized by boreal and the western one with a more mediterranean faunistic elements.

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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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Die Arbeit basiert auf der Messung verschiedener metrischer Charaktere (Kopf-Rumpf-Länge, Kopflänge, maximale Kopfhöhe, maximale Kopfbreite und Rumpf-Länge) an insgesamt knapp 500 nordspanischen Eidechsen. In die Analyse gingen Mesungen an Podarcis bocagei, Podarcis hispanica, Podarcis muralis, Lacerta monticola, Lacerta vivipara, Lacerta lepida, Lacerta schreiberi, Lacerta viridis (=L. bilineata) ein. Demnach ist das ontogenetische Wachstum von Kopf und Rumpf bei männlichen Tieren isometrisch, während Weibchen hingegen ein allometrisches Wachstum des Rumpfes aufweisen. Mit der verwendeten Methodik (Felsenstein) ließ sich der Geschlechtsdimorphismus am besten durch den weiblichen Fortpflanzungsaufwandes (u. a. Gelegegröße) und damit durch die überproportionale Rumpflänge weiblicher Tiere erklären. Bei Arten mit geringer Fruchtbarkeit bzw. konstanter Gelegegröße (hier: Podarcis hispanica) besteht hingegen nur ein geringer Selektionsdruck in Richtung auf große Weibchen. Dann können Männchen zum größten Geschlecht werden. Ebenfalls durchgeführte Größenmessungen an Beutetieren (Magen-Darminhalte) ergaben vergleichsweise gering abweichende Einnischungen männlicher und weiblicher Eidechsen. Eine Analyse der Mechanismen, die zur Ausprägung von Geschlechtsdimorphismen beitragen, ist sicherlich verdienstvoll. Allerdings ist fraglich, ob die hier verwendeten Methoden allein zu einer befriedigenden Klärung führen. Zum einen wurden pro Art nur wenige Individuen (zwischen 22 und 90) untersucht, was - auch nach Ansicht des Autors - statistisch unbefriedigend ist. Wichtiger dürfte aber wohl sein, dass keinerlei Hinweise darauf vorliegen, inwieweit die aus einem relativ begrenzten Gebiet stammenden Freilandfänge als “typisch“ für die Art gelten können. Hinzu kommt, dass sich mit der verwendeten Methode nur die Parameter weiblicher Fortpflanzungsaufwand und unterschiedliche Nahrungseinnischung, nicht jedoch der dritte vom Autor angesprochene Parameter “Kämpfe zwischen den Männchen“ untersuchen lässt. Zumindest in diesem Kontext bedarf es weiterer Daten, die nur durch Verhaltensbeobachtungen lebender Eidechsen zu gewinnen sind.

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The Herpetological Collection of the Trieste Natural History Museum has almost 700 specimens of European Sauria belonging to about 33 taxa, including all the lacertids of northern Adriatic re- gions. The origin of the collection dates back to the foundation of the Museum of Trieste in 1846, but it was increased mainly between 1871 and 1939. The Herpetological Collection of the Trieste Natural History Museum has a great scientific and historical importance; it documents the varia- tion of the composition and distribution of northern Adriatic Sauria fauna during this century, in- cluding endemic varieties typical of little islands.

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

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Morphological and biochemical divergence between Spanish and Moroccan populations of Lacerta lepida demonstrate that these populations are not conspecific; Iberian populations are referred to Lacerta lepida, Moroccan populations to L. pater. An evolutionary scenario, consistent with the biochemical and morphological data, is inferred from the physiographic history of the region.

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Patterns of differentiation in morphology, mitochondrial DNA and allozymes in amphibians and reptiles inhabiting northern and southern shores of the Strait of Gibraltar are not concordant, suggesting that each taxon was affected differently by events preceding or following the formation of the Strait of Gibraltar. Mitochondrial DNA and allozyme differentiation between Discoglossus jeanneae and Discoglossus scovazzi (Anura, Discoglossidae), Rana perezi and Rana saharica (Anura, Ranidae), and Blanus cinereus and Blanus tingitanus (Squamata, Amphisbaenia, Amphisbaenidae) is substantial, whereas morphological differentiation is moderate in Rana and Blanus, but is substantial in Discoglossus. Differentiation in mitochondrial DNA and morphology between Timon (Lacerta) lepidus and Timon (Lacerta) tangitanus (Squamata, Lacertoidea, Lacertidae) is considerable, but allozyme differentiation is low. In members of type-I and -II Podarcis vaucheri (Squamata, Lacertoidea, Lacertidae), morphology and mitochondrial DNA are moderately differentiated, but allozyme differentiation is low. Spanish and Moroccan populations of Hyla meridionalis (Anura, Hylidae), Mauremys leprosa (Testudines, Geoemydidae), and Macroprotodon brevis (Squamata, Serpentes, Colubridae) demonstrate little allozyme and mitochondrial DNA differentiation, but whereas morphological differentiation between Mauremys and Macroprotodon populations is moderate, Hyla demonstrate substantial morphological differentiation between continental populations. These data suggest that sex-limited mitochondrial markers are reflective of ancient phylogenetic history, whereas biparentally inherited allozyme markers and morphological characteristics reflect more recent population structure and movement.

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Relationships among representatives of five genera of lacertid lizards from Iberia, Morocco, and South Africa were studied using quantitative micro-complement fixation analysis of serum albumin evolution. Using the albumin molecular clock to establish divergence times we suggest (1) South African Ichnotropis and North African Psammodromus diverged from the lineage representing Lacerta lepida-L. monticola during the Oligocene, (2) South African Pedioplanis and Heliobolus diverged from this lineage during the late Miocene, and (3) ancestral representatives of L. andreanszkyi, L. perspicillata and Podarcis hispanica diverged from lineages leading to L. monticola and L. lepida during the mid-Miocene. Radiation within the Palearctic Lacertidae has clearly been extensive, yet fewer than twenty percent of the species in this radiation have been examined biochemically. Until additional data can be gathered, the current classification of the Palearctic Lacertidae cannot be much improved and we recommend adherence to the taxonomy proposed by Arnold (1973).

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Cádiz Province, Spain, is the southernmost extent of the range of L. lepida. Within this area, L. lepida demonstrates no distinct preference for any habitat and inhabits man-made and natural shelters with equal frequency. L. lepida is diurnal and active at the surface at ambient temperatures between 15.6°C and 42°C from February through November. Males are 4% to 8% heavier than females of equivalent body length. The rate of parasitism from nematodes is low (6%). The Cádiz Province population has the most diverse diet of any population studied to date. The taxonomic composition of the diet of males and females is identical, and consists mostly of invertebrate prey. Mean prey size and prey diversity are not correlated with lizard body size. Lacerta lepida is cannibalistic. Spermatogenesis and follicular development occur from April through July, egg laying occurs between early June and early July, and clutch size may vary from 4 to 18. Lacerta lepida reproduces only once annually.

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Climate change has been widely accepted as one of the major threats for global biodiversity and understanding its potential effects on species distribution is crucial to optimise conservation planning in future scenarios under global change. Integrating detailed climatic data across spatial and temporal scales into species distribution modelling can help to predict potential changes in biodiversity. Consequently, this type of data can be useful for developing efficient biodiversity management and conservation planning. The provision of such data becomes even more important in highly biodiverse regions, currently suffering from climatic and landscape changes. The Transboundary Biosphere Reserve of Meseta Ibérica (BRMI; Portugal-Spain) is one of the most relevant reserves for wildlife in Europe. This highly diverse region is of great ecological and socio-economical interest, suffering from synergistic processes of rural land abandonment and climatic instabilities that currently threaten local biodiversity. Aiming to optimise conservation planning in the Reserve, we provide a complete dataset of historical and future climate models (1 x 1 km) for the BRMI, used to build a series of distribution models for 207 vertebrate species. These models are projected for 2050 under two climate change scenarios. The climatic suitability of 52% and 57% of the species are predicted to decrease under the intermediate and extreme climatic scenarios, respectively. These models constitute framework data for improving local conservation planning in the Reserve, which should be further supported by implementing climate and land-use change factors to increase the accuracy of future predictions of species distributions in the study area.

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The cartography of all species of the Montseny Natural Park (NE Iberian), as well as the estimation of their relative abundance and conservation status were carried out in order to evaluate the reptile populations living there. Moreover, a simple, reproducible methodology for monitoring was performed for long-term monitoring. The geographic situation and ecological traits of Montseny Massif have produce a rich reptile fauna: 17 species (8 lizards and 9 snakes) from different origins inhabit the Park; 4 more live in their surroundings. None of them could be considered as endangered but three are rare. The monitoring method consist of normalized transects in three different habitats (evergreen oak forest, meadow and beech forest) and three seasons (srping, summer and autumn) calculating four descriptors: abundance, diversity, richness and eveness. During testing period, 44 transects were carried out and 276 reptiles belonging to 8 especies were detected. More individuals were observed in beech forests than in the other habitats but diversity was higher in meadows. The values of all four descriptors were higher in spring than in the rest of the year. Small lacertid lizards were the most abundant species; Podarcis hispanica was dominant in evergreen oak forests whereas P. muralis was the main species in beech forests. For following campaigns, increment of field effort and concentration in spring are recommended in order to assure detection of big, scarce species.

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EL ESTUDIO SOBRE LA AUTOECOLOGIA DEL LAGARTO OCELADO SE HA REALIZADO EN LA ZONA CENTRO DE ESPAÑA. SE HAN ABORDADO UNA SERIE DE OBJETIVOS QUE SE INDICAN A CONTINUACION. PRIMERAMENTE SE BUSCARON LAS RELACIONES ENTRE ALGUNOS PARAMETROS CORPORALES MEDIDOS Y LAS CARACTERISTICAS DEL COMPORTAMIENTO. SE HA ENCONTRADO QUE LOS MACHOS ADULTOS DEBIDO PROBABLEMENTE A LA SELECCION SEXUAL PRESENTA PESOS MAYORES Y TAMAÑO DE CABEZA MAYOR QUE LAS HEMBRAS, TAMBIEN UNA LCC SUPERIOR DEBIDO A UNA MAYOR TASA DE CRECIMIENTO. LA LONGEVIDAD FUE IGUAL EN AMBOS SEXOS, DE 10-11 AÑOS. EN CUANTO A LAS CARACTERISTICAS DEMOGRAFICAS SE HA ENCONTRADO LA PRESENCIA DE UN CICLO REPRODUCTOR TIPO MIXTO CON MAXIMOS EN PRIMAVERA Y MINIMOS EN VERANO. LOS CUERPOS GRASOS LOS UTILIZAN ESENCIALMENTE PARA REPRODUCIRSE. LA MADUREZ SEXUAL LA ALCANZAN A LOS 2,5 Y 3 AÑOS. LAS HEMBRAS DEPOSITAN UNA PUESTA AL AÑO EN JUNIO-JULIO. EL TAMAÑO DE PUESTA ESTA COMPRENDIDO ENTRE 5-22 HUEVOS. LA DENSIDAD DE LA POBLACION SE HA CALCULADO A PARTIR DE DIFERENTES METODOS COMPARADOS OBTENIENDO LAS MEJORES ESTIMAS A PARTIR DEL METODO DE LESLIE Y DAVIS CON UN TOTAL DE 29.4 IND.-HA. LOS LAGARTOS SON FUNDAMENTALMENTE INSECTIVOROS GENERALISTAS Y OPORTUNISTAS. HAN MOSTRADO QUE OCUPAN UN GRAN AMPLIO RAMGO DE HABITATS Y UNA ESTRUCTURA DE VEGETACION DIVERSA. LA ACTIVIDAD SE CENTRA EN LOS MESES DE PRIMAVERA Y VERANO Y EN OTOÑO TIENE LUGAR LA HIBERNACION.

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We report on the reproductive characteristics of the lizard Lacerta lepida from two separate geographic regions in Spain. Lizards from central Spain (L. lepida lepida) mature at an age of 32-33 months. upon attaining a minimum size of 122-148 mm snout-vent-length. One clutch averaging 16.9 eggs is produced annually. We found an inverse correlation between egg and clutch size. Lizards from south-eastern Spain (L. lepida nevadensis) have smaller clutches (mean = 12.3 eggs), composed of relatively large eggs, and some individuals produce more than one clutch per year.

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We studied the annual reproductive and fat body cycles of the oviparous lizard Lacerta lepida in central Spain. Testicular recrudescence started in late summer and testes attained their maximal sizes during the following spring. Females exhibited ovarian growth during spring and most oviposited in July. Fat bodies of males were smallest during the mating period. Female fat body volumes declined during vitellogenesis. No significant decline of lipid stores was detected during the hibernation period (October-March).

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We studied habitat selection by Lacerta lepida in an open, degraded Mediterranean Quercus ilex -forest using two different methods. First, the frequency of lizard observations in distinct habitat types was compared with habitat availability. Although lizards were seen in a wide range of habitats, a preference for sites with a complex vertical vegetation structure was evident. We also quantified structural features of the habitat at sighting spots of adult lizards. Both univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that lizards preferred sites with a relatively high coverage of high (> 2 m) vegetation, but with some low (< 50 cm) vegetation, and where some rocks were present.

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We studied diet composition of Lacerta lepida in a sample of 325 specimens from central Spain. This large lacertid lizard feeds predominantly on Coleoptera, but also consumes other arthropods, snails, small vertebrates, and some plant material. Composition of the animal fraction of the diet and trophic diversity were virtually identical in adult males and females. Juveniles fed upon a restricted number of prey types which were small in size, whereas adults consumed a large number of prey taxa, covering a wider range of prey sizes. Trophic segregation among individual lizards was highest in the smaller size classes. The incidence of plant material increased with lizard size and was highest in males, but it never represented a substantial fraction of the total diet. The contribution of small vertebrates to total prey numbers also increased with lizard body size. Our results indicate that vertebrates are of marginal numerical importance to the diet of L. lepida.

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Lacerta lepida (Daudin 1802) is a typical Mediterranean lizard common in Spain. With the genus Gallotia in the Canary Islands and L. pater (Bischoff, 1982) in North Africa, it is one of the largest lacertids. Many aspects of its biology and ecology are still unknown, although data have been collected in natural conditions (Seva, 1982) and in captivity (Peters, 1962). Histological marks expressing periodic bone growth (sceletochronology) have contributed to interesting eco-demographic results in many lacertid populations (Castanet, 1982). For instance, an earlier study (Castanet and Baez, 1983) provided new data on individual age, sexual maturity and ecological longevity of Gallotia galloti. Preliminary studies suggest that this histological method would be also valid in L. lepida (Castanet, 1982, Cheylan, pers. comm.). Hence, in this paper, we have used skeletochronology to study L. lepida, within the context of more extensive researches on the exology of some Spanish populations of this species.

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This study was carried out to evaluate the diversity in reptile communities in wetland landscapes located in the Mediterranean region. For this, the status of the reptile populations linked to different Mediterranean wetlands in relation to the different types of land use established in the nearby drainage basins (500 m around the wetlands perimeter) was determined. The different types of land use were determined together with the presence/absence, abundance and size class of the different reptile species. The results showed that areas with high anthropic pressure had a lower diversity of species, as well as a less balanced community structure, that could put at risk the effective recruitment and hence the maintenance of the reptile populations in these areas. The reasons behind the decline in the reptile community are similar to those put forward for explaining the decline in amphibians in the same area.

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The updated distribution of the 40 amphibians and reptiles species recorded in Jaén province is showed off in 10x10 UTM squares. Distribution of 35 of them is enlarged with 323 new records, 152 for amphibians and 171 for reptiles. Main conservation problems detected for every species are expounded.

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Uncertainty in projections of global change impacts on biodiversity over the 21st century is high. Improved predictive accuracy is needed, highlighting the importance of using different types of models when predicting species range shifts. However, this is still rarely done. Our approach integrates the outputs of a spatially-explicit physiologically inspired model of extinction and correlative species distribution models to assess climate-change induced range shifts of three European reptile species (Lacerta lepida, Iberolacerta monticola, and Hemidactylus turcicus) in the coming decades. We integrated the two types of models by mapping and quantifying agreement and disagreement between their projections. We analyzed the relationships between climate change and projected range shifts. Agreement between model projections varied greatly between species and depended on whether or not they consider dispersal ability. Under our approach, the reliability of predictions is greatest where the predictions of these different types of models converge, and in this way uncertainty is reduced; sites where this convergence occurs are characterized by both current high temperatures and significant future temperature increase, suggesting they may become hotspots of local extinctions. Moreover, this approach can be readily implemented with other types of models.

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Background: Human values and folklore of wildlife strongly influence the effectiveness of conservation efforts. These values and folklore may also vary with certain demographic characteristics such as gender, age, or education. Reptiles and amphibians are among the least appreciated of vertebrates and are victims of many negative values and wrong ideas resulting from the direct interpretation of folklore. We try to demonstrate how these values and folklore can affect the way people relate to them and also the possible conservation impacts on these animals. Methods: A questionnaire survey distributed to 514 people in the district of Évora, Portugal, was used to obtain data regarding the hypothesis that the existence of wrong ideas and negative values contributes to the phenomenon of human-associated persecution of these animals. A structural equation model was specified in order to confirm the hypothesis about the possible relationships between the presence of perceptions and negative values about amphibians and reptiles and persecution and anti-conservation attitudes. Sociodemographic variables were also added. Results: The results of the model suggest that the presence of folklore and negative values clearly predicts persecution and anti-conservation attitudes towards amphibians and reptiles. Also, the existence of folklore varies sociodemographically, but negative values concerning these animals are widespread in the population. Conclusions: With the use of structural equation models, this work is a contribution to the study of how certain ideas and values can directly influence human attitudes towards herpetofauna and how they can be a serious conservation issue.

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Une espèce de reptiles sur quatre est menacée au niveau mondial. Le lézard ocellé, Timon lepidus, constitue un des enjeux de conservation majeure pour les reptiles en France. Pour mieux le protéger, le suivi des tendances de populations est un objectif crucial sur son aire de répartition. Un des paramètres importants à maîtriser dans les méthodes probabilistes d’estimation de taille de population est la probabilité de détecter un individu lorsque celui-ci est présent. Un suivi radio-télémétrique de 25 lézards adultes dans la Réserve Naturelle des Coussouls de Crau, du 05/04 au 31/05/2011 a été réalisé pour estimer cette disponibilité des animaux pour l’observateur. Elle est influencée par la température et la vitesse du vent (AIC= 469.6), elle ne montre pas de variation journalière (p=0.262), et atteint 45% dans les conditions météorologiques optimales. Ce modèle a été utilisé pour calculer la probabilité de détection G(0) correspondant à la période de réalisation de 27 transects d’avril à mai 2011 (G(0)= 0.357, SE=0.059), qui a nourri le modèle d’analyse en Distance Sampling des données issues des transects. La densité de population de T. lepidus est estimée à 8.5 ind/km2 (5.2-13.7 ind/km²). Le coefficient de variation (24.5%) pourrait être réduit par la manière de rechercher les animaux et l’orientation des transects. Cette estimation est la première réalisée en Crau et offre à la Réserve Naturelle un outil pour suivre à long terme les tendances de population.

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Radio-tracking is a technique used to study behavior and activity rhythms of animals. It is necessary to use systems with the least impact on the behavior of the tagged individuals under penalty of bias in the data collected. We tested the impact of a harness system on 25 individuals in the population of Ocellated lizards Timon lepidus, in the plain of Crau. Escape behavior was used as an indicator to assess annoyance on individuals equipped. The results show that there is no significant differences between escape distances of equipped and unequipped individuals (t=1.734; p=0.08). The harness is maintained on individuals on average 29 days + /- 11days when installed after the sloughing of the skin out of winter. This study feeds the knowledge of potential radio-telemetry effects on animal behavior and suggests that harnesses have a reduced impact compared to other transmitters attaching systems.

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Se documenta el proceso de extinción del lagarto ocelado Timon lepidus en la isla de Porquerolles (Provenza, Francia). Las prospecciones realizadas en 2001 y 2002 con el objetivo de volver a encontrar la especie fueron negativas. A partir de esto se infiere que la especie se extinguió en la década de 2000. Las causas de la desaparición de la especie son controvertidas y parecen deberse a una evolución desfavorable de los hábitats y a la depredación que ejerce el faisán vulgar, introducido en los años 1970.

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The ocellated lizard is a typical species of Mediterranean open grounds. Its former and current geographic distribution are studied at national and local scales by means of various sources: inquiries with naturalists, field search, bibliographical and museum search. This analysis shows a decline of the species during the last 150 years, the result being a fragmentation of the distribution area and the loss of at least six continental populations, and of one to two insular populations out of the three historically known. These losses concern not only isolated populations at the edge of the distribution area, but also Mediterranean populations. The destruction and current evolution of the habitats seem to be mostly responsible for this decline, especially open grounds reafforestation due to rural exodus. This thermophilous species doesn’t seem to have taken benefit of the climatic reheating attested during the considered period. The present situation is probably more a consequence of changes in human activities than the result of climatic modifications.

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The present article covers 20 years of field work by the authors. It provides data of 26 species of amphibians and reptiles, located in the southern sector of Catalonia (northeastern Spain), many of them in quadrants UTM 10 x 10, which had not been previously cited.

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Dans ce (ravail nous faisons une synthese de quelques données que nous avons obtenu sur la distribution et I`écologie de I`herpétofaune portugaise. Naus faisons aussi référence à la fréquence de capture de ces animaux pendan! les différents mois de I`année et à leur occurrence dans les principales montagnes du pays.

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Use of road drainage structures and other potential underpasses such as culverts by reptiles is scarcely studied. We present photographic evidence of Ocellated lizards (Timon lepidus) using a narrow, linear road drainage under an intense-traffic road in western Andalusia (Seville). Our finding suggests that lizards could benefit of using these alternative routes diminishing risks of road killing, and that even narrow culverts could be contributing to an inter-habitat displacement in this threatened lizard species by mitigating habitat fragmentation effects.

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Comparative analyses were carried out about the variability of the pileal shields of different species belonging to the family Lacertidae. The results of the comparisons have been evaluated in respect to the phylogenetical relationships existing between the different genera and species of the family.

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Le Mimosa d`hiver Acacia dealbata Link, 1822, une menace pour le Lézard ocellé Timon lepidus (Daudin, 1802)? (Région Provence-Alpes-Côte-d`Azur) par Grégory DESO Abstract-Winter mimosa Acacia dealbata Link, 1822, a menace for ocellated lizard Timon lepidus (Daudin, 1802) in the country Provence-Alpes-Côte-d`Azur ? The ocellated Lizard Timon lepidus (Daudin, 1802) presents an intermittent distribution on the French Mediterranean coast. Populations are few and undergo many threats. The littoral populations of the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes undergo a closure of the environment due to the invasion of the Winter mimosa Acacia dealbata Link, 1822. This note aims to draw attention on a possible threat which affect the littoral populations of ocellated Lizards.

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Recognition of an ocellated Lizard (Timon lepidus) on a five year span, thanks to the photo-identification. Thanks to the shape and the arrangement of its ocelli, an ocellated lizard was identified in 2012 as the same individual already photographed in 2007.

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In the heart of the French countryside, recipes developed around the biggest snakes, ways to prepare Lizards identical to other countries are still in the minds of ourelders. We also report here a testimony of consumption of the ocellated lizard and of an unexpected use of its skin.

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Recent surveys on the ocellated lizard, Timon lepidus lepidus, populations along the French and Italian border allowed to update the species’ distribution and conservation status. Two populations connecting the two countries were discovered and several pathways between France and Italy are suspected. We also discuss the status of these populations and their conservations issues.

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New researches conducted in the Durance valley (within the departments of Hautes-Alpes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) enable to precise the extension of the ocellated lizard within the Alpine arc at the margins of its distribution area. Nineteen new populations are herein reported, as well as the confirmation of the presence of the species in three historic localities. We discuss the conservation status of the new populations described and also make several recommendations for the conservation of the species.

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The utility of radiotelemetry as a tool for estimating the size and microhabitat requirements of a population of Lacerta lepida, the largest European lacertid, was investigated in central Spain. Population density estimates based on repeated marking and recapture (3.2 lizards ha−1) were much higher than those based on line transects (0.22 lizards ha−1). The probability of sighting lizards before they could retreat into a refuge was largely increased by our ability to radiolocate them. Rocks were selected as refuges 96% of the times, and the locations of radiotracked lizards were much closer to rocks than randomly expected. Rocks used as retreat sites were larger and had more crevices than those available at random, which suggests that refuge selection was primarily determined by the need to find shelter from predators. Rockrose patches, which were positively selected, might be used as refuge-connecting corridors that combine shelter with opportunities to forage and thermoregulate. Our results emphasize the need for using radiotelemetry to establish baseline information on abundance and to clarify the actuality, extent and pattern of the population declines experienced by species that may function as key links in their ecosystems, but the wariness of which poses a serious problem for monitoring their conservation status.

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Here I describe the chelonians, which I found during my last holidays in France. Additionally I show animals and plants which I found in the same habitat, i.e. pine, cork trees, mosses, orchids and other plants, lizards, salamanders, snakes and frogs.

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New data on the distribution of the ocellated lizard Lacerta lepida in Alava (Basque Country) are brought forward. They discover a much wider range than the one formerly known.

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The Ocellated Lizard Timon lepidus (Sauria ; Lacertidae) has declined throughout most of its range. Today it is difficult to assess the extent of this decline. The Ocellated Lizard population of Oléron Island (Charente- Maritime, France) is the subject of a long-term monitoring study established in 2007. This study is repeated every 3 years to follow the population evolution. The population is confined to a long-shore dune of 140 ha. The monitoring method consists of 70 plots (50 x 50 m) randomly placed within a study area divided into six distinct zones. Three surveys were conducted in the study area over the spring season (April, May and June). Results were analysed with PRESENCE 3.0 (Beta) and R 2.8.1. The Ocellated Lizard has a highly heterogeneous distribution on Oléron Island. The site-occupancy model allows us to conclude that the probability of detecting the species in the plots increases over the field. In 2010, this probability was 0.78 in April and 0.97 in May and June. The estimated proportion of occupied sites was 0.83 in 2010 and 0.76 in 2007. Colonization and local extinction are the consequences of the evolution of available shelters (colonization if this resource increases and extinction if it disappears) and of the coastal erosion (habitat loss). The relative abundance of Ocellated Lizards on the island (modeling with the N-mixture model) can be principally explained by the presence of permanent shelters (used both during winter and the lizards’ active period), including rabbit and rodent burrows and artificial shelters. Rabbits are essential and their maintaining is crucial for the Ocellated Lizard conservation. The Ocellated Lizard population size was estimated to be 1025 individuals (95 % CI 695-1355) in 2010. This monitoring survey will be replicated in 2013. Results will help us in evaluating and guiding management and conservation measures.

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The ocellated lizard Timon lepidus (Sauria; Lacertidae) has declined throughout most of its range. Habitat fragmentation and habitat loss seem to be mainly responsible for the species` decline. The ocellated lizard population of Oleron Island, confined to a longshore dune of 140 ha, is the subject of a long-term monitoring study established in 2007. The monitoring method consists of 70 plots (50 × 50 m) randomly placed within a study area divided into six distinct zones. Three surveys were conducted in the study area over the spring season of 2007. During each survey, we counted the individuals in each plot. These counts were analyzed with the PRESENCE 2.0 and the R package Unmarked software using two different modeling approaches, the `site-occupancy model` and the `N-mixture model`. Estimates resulting from our analyses indicated the proportion of occupied plots to be 0.76. Our results indicated that the ocellated lizard has a highly heterogeneous distribution on Oleron Island, with parts of the dune sheltering clusters of lizards, and other areas totally unoccupied. The population size was estimated to be 516 individuals (95% CI 248-783). The relative abundance of ocellated lizards on the island can be principally explained by the presence of permanent shelters (used both during winter and the lizards` active period), including rabbit and rodent burrows and artificial shelters. This monitoring survey will be replicated every three years to enable us to calculate the species` colonization and local extinction probabilities. These results will help in evaluating and guiding management and conservation measures.

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In this study, we evaluated predation of the ocellated lizard on red-legged partridge nests in an olive grove in southern Spain over three consecutive years. The microhabitat characteristics of prey nests are analysed through comparison with successful nests. We found only 13 nests predated by lizards during the study period. This number was three times lower than that of nests that failed due to causes related to agricultural practices or human activity in the same period and study area. A few of the nests were predated by mammals more than they were preyed upon by lizards. The nests preyed on by lizards were associated with proximity to their refuge areas (e.g. stone piles, old buildings with holes, or rabbit burrows). The characteristics of the olive grove (e.g. drip irrigation and absence of vegetation under the olive trees) may favour the ocellated lizards’ search-and-hunt strategy, which allows a lizard to readily find a nest if it is inside the lizard’s territory and close to its refuge. We propose management strategies for reducing lizard-related nest losses. However, we argue that olive grove intensification is a major cause of partridge nest failure rather than predation by lizards and other predators.

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South-western Europe has a rich diversity of lacertid lizards. In this study, we evaluated the occupancy patterns and niche segregation of five species of lacertids, focusing on large-bodied species (i.e., adults having >75 mm snout-vent length) that occur in south-western Europe (Italian to the Iberian Peninsula). We characterized the niches occupied by these species based on climate and vegetation cover properties. We expected some commonality among phylogenetically related species, but also patterns of habitat segregation mitigating competition between ecologically equivalent species. We used multivariate ordination and probabilistic methods to describe the occupancy patterns and evaluated niche evolution through phylogenetic analyses. Our results showed climate niche partitioning, but with a wide overlap in transitional zones, where segregation is maintained by species-specific responses to the vegetation cover. The analyses also showed that phylogenetically related species tend to share large parts of their habitat niches. The occurrence of independent evolutionary lineages contributed to the regional species richness favored by a long history of niche divergence.

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A physically based model was built to predict the transient body temperature of lizards in a thermally heterogeneous environment. Six heat transfer terms were taken into account in this model: solar radiation, convective heat flow, longwave radiation, conductive heat flow, metabolic heat gain and respiratory energy loss. In order to enhance the model predictive power, a Monte Carlo simulation was employed to calibrate the bio-physical parameters of the target animal. Animal experiments were conducted to evaluate the calibrated body temperature model in a terrarium under a controlled thermal environment. To avoid disturbances of the animal, thermal infrared imagers were used to measure the land surface temperature and the body temperature. The results showed that the prediction accuracy of lizard`s transient temperature was substantially increased by the use of Monte Carlo techniques (RMSE=0.59 °C) compared to standard model parameterization (RMSE=1.35 °C). Because the model calibration technique presented here is based on physical principles, it should be also useful in more complex, field situations.

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Understanding behavioural thermoregulation and its consequences is a central topic in ecology. In this study, a spatial explicit model was developed to simulate the movement and thermal habitat use of lizards in a controlled environment. The model incorporates a lizard`s transient body temperatures with a cellular automaton (CA) algorithm and links the physiology knowledge of the animal with the spatial utilization of its microhabitat. The model assumed that a lizard tries to maintain its preferred body temperature in a dynamic thermal environment by continuously selecting positions with different thermal conditions. The sequence of chosen positions formed a chain defining the individual`s path, to be later aggregated into a map of thermal habitat use. An experiment was designed to test the model. An ocellated lizard (Timonlepidus) was kept in a terrarium with controlled dynamic thermal environment, and the thermal environment as well as the movement of the lizard were recorded by a variety of sensors. The model was tested to predict the spatial utilization of a lizard`s thermal habitat in the terrarium based on three categories: high, moderate and low occupancy. The simulated results were compared with observations from the animal experiment. The predicted overall pattern of the micro-habitat occupancy of the lizard within 4 days matched the observation, at an overall accuracy of 75.7%. The results suggest that thermal habitat use by lizards in a controlled environment may be predicted by the integrated model of the lizard`s body temperature and the CA algorithm.

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Review of the distribution and conservation of amphibians and reptiles in the Province of Granada (Spain). -- The distribution of amphibians and reptiles in the Province of Granada (Spain) is recorded in 10 x 10 km U.T.M. squares. This updates previously recorded data. Thirty-four species, 12 amphibian and 22 reptiles, were found. The known spatial distribution of all the species is enlarged. Eleven species were found at higher than previously known altitudes. Conservation problems in the study area are pointed out.

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Monfragüe National Park (Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain) is a protected area in central‐western Iberia, including some of the best preserved primary Mediterranean vegetation. Legal protection dates back to 1979 (first as a Natural Park and then as a National Park), but knowledge about its reptile communities is so far limited to sparse records. In this paper we present an updated species list based on 521 records covering 163 1x1 km UTM grids in the study area, compiled in the period 2000‐2019. We detected 20 native species, representing 71.4% of the reptile fauna in Extremadura and 35% of the ibero‐balearic reptile fauna. Additionally, based on molecular analyses populations of the amphisbaenid genus Blanus in the study area are assigned to the oriental Iberian taxon, B. cinereus. The new records extend the known distribution of the different reptile species in the study area in 56 10x10 km UTM grids. Species presenting more restricted distributions in Monfragüe are Lacerta schreiberi (one 1x1 grid), Emys orbicularis, and Acanthodactylus erythrurus (four 10x10 grids each).

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Transition zones between bioregions can sustain the coexistence of species with different biogeographic affinities through ecological niche segregation at a finer scale. Reptiles can serve as a good model group to evaluate the mechanisms behind such coexistence patterns especially due to their thermal sensibility to microhabitat structure. We examined whether reptile species spatially segregate in their microhabitat use and whether this segregation reflects the biogeographic affinities of species. Reptiles were surveyed across a 1.5-km transect located in the Peneda-Gerês National Park. We used 478 GPS observations of nine sympatric non-Mediterranean and Mediterranean species collected during field surveys in 2012 and 2013. Each observation was assigned to a microhabitat-openness measurement. Differences in microhabitat selection between Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean species were studied with factorial ANOVA analyses. The similarity in microhabitat selection between pairs of species was compared with the similarity in their Iberian distributions by a Partial Mantel test checking for the genetic distances between species pairs in a phylogenetic framework. Comparing a random selection of points along transect, we found that non-Mediterranean species used more closed microhabitats than Mediterranean species. No differences in this pattern were found between snakes and lizards. The Mantel test showed that microhabitat selection was correlated with the Iberian geographic distributional patterns of species. The complex vegetation structure of this area is most likely responsible for the availability of different microhabitats, which promotes high reptile species richness and governs their sympatric coexistence at a finer scale.

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There is an increasing recognition that fire is an important component of many ecosystems in the world, essential to understand the ecology and diversity of communities in fire-prone regions. It impacts fauna directly, through mortality, or indirectly by changing habitat structure and resources availability. In recent decades global warming, land abandonment and changes in traditional agricultural activities are driving changes in the frequency and extent of fires. In this context, to know the response of organisms to fire regimes is a conservation priority. Reptiles are a good model group to examine their responses to fire as they are ectothermic, sensible to modifications in habitat attributes such as vegetation structure and canopy closure, have low mobility and dispersal rates, and experience high rates of population declines and extinction. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of fire on reptile assemblages at two geographic scales: at a worldwide scale, where I examined patterns of reptile responses to fire considering the time since fire effect with a meta-analysis methodology (Chapter 1); at a local scale, where I evaluated the effect of wildfires on the reptile communities of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, namely on the population densities, species richness (Chapters 2) and examined how the trophic ecology and interspecific interactions varied with fire using the Psammodrome lizard as a model species (Chapter 3). For this, I used a set of proper methodologies in order to collect and analyze all the data needed to perform this study (search scientific data for a meta-analysis; transects for reptile surveys followed by vegetation and habitat structure characterization; fecal pellets analysis and network metrics for lizard‟s diet). At a worldwide scale, lizards‟ diversity (richness) but not abundance decreases immediately after fire (<1 year) but recovers quickly to pre-fire levels with increased abundance. Regarding snakes, diversity is not significantly affected by time-since-fire but abundance decreases in the latter stages of the post-fire succession. In Serra da Estrela Natural Park, reptile abundance decreases in the first 5 years of post-fire succession, but increases in the interval between 5-10 years. I also found that Psammodromus algirus is positively related with tree cover, and negatively related with herbaceous cover. Plant diversity is also a relevant parameter for reptiles, since its presence (abundance) is positively related with the diversity of plant species. Relatively to the diet, metrics of the bipartite network for lizards collected in unburned and burned habitats demonstrated that P. algirus presents more selective behaviors in unburned habitats, than in burned ones. I have also found differences between burned and unburned areas as regards availability of prey, being the burned area the one presenting the richest arthropod communities. My results suggest that immediately after fire there is a decrease in species richness but communities recover quickly and reptile abundance increases in early stages of post-fire succession (both globally, and also in Serra da Estrela Natural Park). Although reptiles present a close relation with habitat structure, they seem well adapted to areas with different time since fire and present stable abundances across the post-fire succession. Moreover, they have diet variation and are adapted to consume a large variety of preys when conditions are not suitable. In undisturbed areas, they may present a selective behavior.

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Depuis l`origine des sciences computationnelles, les simulations numériques ont facilité l’étude des mécanismes générant les formes et les couleurs qui composent les organismes vivants. Alain Turing, souvent considéré comme l’un des pères de l`informatique, dans son célèbre article Chemical basis of morphogenesis, suggère qu`un mécanisme auto-organisationnel guide la formation de motifs durant la morphogénèse. Les modèles de Turing ont largement contribué à la compréhension des processus impliqués dans le développement des patrons de coloration de la peau et de motifs émergeants de la croissance différentielle des tissus. Un processus distinct, l`obtention d`un état d`énergie minimale par déformation suite à des instabilités élastique induites par disparité de croissance de tissus adjacents, permet également de générer des motifs morphologiques. Dans ce contexte, j`ai employé la modélisation mathématique, l`analyse graphique ainsi que le calcul parallèle afin d`expliquer l`émergence de la structure pliée de la collerette érectile du dragon australien (Chlamydosaurus kingii) ainsi que la formation de motifs cutanés colorés chez le lézard ocellé (Timon Lepidus). Soumis à des compressions suffisamment larges, découlant de la croissance homogène de la peau physiquement contrainte par ses connexions aux tissus adjacents, la surface de la collerette du lézard Chlamydosaurus subit une instabilité mécanique qui conduit à la formation d`un motif ondulant à trois stries convexes. En appliquant des reconstructions volumétriques réalistes, des mesures de croissance embryonnaire, d`épaisseur et de rigidité du tissu impliqué, le modèle computationnel indique que l`instabilité mécanique à elle seule suffit à reproduire la transition de deux à trois stries observée durant le développement embryonnaire de la collerette du lézard Chlamydosaurus. !9 Le motif coloré de la peau dorsale du lézard ocellé consiste en une juxtaposition d`écailles uniformément vertes ou noires. Ce motif se forme durant les premières années du développement de l`animal par le changement de couleur d`écailles individuelles. Ce processus peut être modélisé par un automate cellulaire probabiliste, survenant suite à des processus d’interactions de cellules pigmentaires se produisant dans la peau de géométrique complexe. En exploitant un mécanisme de Turing, l`analyse de distribution spatiale des cellules pigmentaires et d`un modèle numérique à trois dimensions, je montre que la géométrie de la peau est suffisante pour expliquer le motif des écailles uniformément colorées. En outre, en appliquant une méthode de réduction de dimension, qui projette un domaine 3D vers un domaine 2D, j`ai développé un modèle numérique hautement optimisé qui me permet de produire des simulations de réaction-diffusion combinée à la croissance tissulaire. Dans ce cadre, je démontre que la croissance de l`animal, couplée à une géométrie complexe de la peau, génère une séquence de motifs par changement de couleur d`écailles individuelles. De surcroît, les motifs générés présentent une décroissance de la taille caractéristique du motif hautement similaire à celle observée chez les lézards ocellés.

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Ultraviolet (UV) colorations have garnered extensive theoretical and empirical treatment in recent years, although the majority of studies have concerned themselves with avian taxa. However, many lizards have acute visual systems with retinal photoreceptors that are sensitive to UV wavelengths, and also display UV-reflecting colour patches. In the present study, we used UV photography and full-spectrum reflectance spectrophotometry to describe intra- and intersexual colour variation in adult ocellated lizards Lacerta (Timon) lepida and to obtain evidence of UV-based ornamentation. We also investigated whether any colour traits correlate with morphological traits potentially related to individual quality. The results obtained show that the prominent eyespots and blue outer ventral scales (OVS) that ocellated lizards have on their flanks reflect strongly in the UV range and are best described as UV/blue in coloration. The eyespots of males are larger and cover a larger surface area than those of females. However, these differences can be entirely accounted for by sex differences in body size, with males being generally larger than females. We also found differences in the shape of reflectance curves from males and females, with the eyespots and blue OVS of males being more UV-shifted than those of females. Other body regions have extremely low UV reflectance and are not sexually dichromatic. Eyespot size and the total surface area covered by eyespots increases with body size in males but not in females, suggesting that they may be signalling an intrinsic individual characteristic such as body size or male fighting ability. We also discuss the alternative and non-exclusive hypothesis that eyespots may function in lizards of both sexes as protective markings against predators.

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Herpetological observations in Portugal and southern Spain (Cota Doñana and Sierra del Norte in Andalusia) In the first week of March 2008 a group of sixteen herpetologists visi- ted the Cota Doñana in the south of Portugal and the Sierra del Norte in Andalusia in Spain to look for reptiles and amphibians. The Cota Doñana is a wetland area close to the Mediterranean, with three types of landscapes (dunes, wetlands and shrub lands). The Sierra del Norte is a mountainous area and one of the warmest parts of southern Spain with shrub lands (maquis), low trees and Mediterranean herbs. A lot of species have been found (see table 2), though in relatively low quan- tities.

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Colonization by reptiles and amphibians of the spoil benches of the Meirama opencast lignite mine in northwest Spain was studied over the 10 years following the start of the revegetation process. At Meirama, spoil benches are initially fertilized and hydroseeded with a pasture mix, but are subject to little subsequent management and are gradually colonized by scrub vegetation characteristic of the region. Herpetofauna censuses were carried out (1) yearly on a single 2 ha plot over the 6 years following hydroseeding, and (2) in a single year on ten 2 ha plots which had been hydroseeded between 0 and 10 years previously. In addition, censuses were carried out on three undisturbed `control` plots close to the mine. Fifteen species (nine amphibians and six reptiles) were detected in one or more of the spoil-bench plots. Recolonization is particularly rapid after the first 2-3 years posthydroseeding, and is clearly closely related to habitat development due to revegetation and natural succession. The first reptile species to colonize the study plots was Podarcis bocagei (first year), and the first amphibians Alytes obstetricans and Rana perezi (second year). Species composition was most similar to that in control plots in the oldest (ten-year-old) spoil plots.

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En el presente artículo se realiza un inventario de las especies de anfibios y reptiles presentes en las islas de Galicia. También se presentan algunos datos sobre la ecología y la morfología de algunas poblaciones insulares de estas especies. La herpetofauna de las islas gallegas está compuesta por tres especies de Urodelos, siete de Anuros, siete de Saurios y cuatro de Ofidios. Las especies más ampliamente distribuidas en las islas de la costa de Galicia son las lagartijas del género Podareis. Por otro lado, las especies de anfibios son las que tienen una distribución más restringida, no habitando más que las islas de mayor tamaño, con la excepción de algunas poblaciones de Salamandra salamandra, que viven en pequeños islotes.

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The main threats to the amphibians and reptiles of Galicia (NW Spain) are studied in relation to the information obtained during the last 30 years (1975-2005). The most negative factors affecting amphibians and reptiles in this territory are the human alteration of both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, and the introduction of exotic species (mainly freshwater crustaceans and fishes). These menaces have led to the extinction of some Galician populations of amphibian and reptiles. Other factors, such as emergent diseases, can be very important, but they have not been studied yet. This last threat is one of the main causes for the global amphibian decline. The recent status of the Galician herpetofauna is also analysed. According to the main population declines and areal reduction observed, the most endangered amphibian species is Pelobates cultripes. Other amphibians, such as Chioglossa lusitanica, Rana iberica and Rana temporaria, are also importantly put at risk. The most endangered reptile species is Emys orbicularis. The restricted and limited Galician populations of Lacerta vivipara, Chalcides bedriagai and Vipera latasti are also threatened. The available information for other reptile species (Blanus cinereus, Psammodromus hispanicus, etc.), is still very scarce, but it is possible that their situation is also precarious. The particular status of the insular populations of amphibians and reptiles from the islands off the Galician coast is also analysed.

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The frequent lack of biodiversity data on municipal areas favoured the performance of a herpetological study to determine the number of herpetological species in the four most significant types of habitat within the municipality of Navaridas (province of Alava). A number of different sampling surveys were performed (transects, and water net points) during 2015 and 2016. 15 herpetological species (8 amphibians and 7 reptiles) were found. Protected areas showed higher diversity levels, especially in the lake and associated holm oak woodland of Navaridas. The results suggest the possible benefit of low stone walls between vineyard for Podarcis liolepis. This study establishes a starting point for further research projects based on the population densities and evolution of herpetological species, and an assessment of the possible effects of agricultural activities on these populations.

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Climatic conditions changing over time and space shape the evolution of organisms at multiple levels, including temperate lizards in the family Lacertidae. Here we reconstruct a dated phylogenetic tree of 262 lacertid species based on a supermatrix relying on novel phylogenomic datasets and fossil calibrations. Diversification of lacertids was accompanied by an increasing disparity among occupied bioclimatic niches, especially in the last 10 Ma, during a period of progressive global cooling. Temperate species also underwent a genome- wide slowdown in molecular substitution rates compared to tropical and desert-adapted lacertids. Evaporative water loss and preferred temperature are correlated with bioclimatic parameters, indicating physiological adaptations to climate. Tropical, but also some popu- lations of cool-adapted species experience maximum temperatures close to their preferred temperatures. We hypothesize these species-specific physiological preferences may con- stitute a handicap to prevail under rapid global warming, and contribute to explaining local lizard extinctions in cool and humid climates.

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Records for the amphibian and reptile species of continental Portugal were plotted on maps using the 10 10 km squares of the UTM grid system. A total of 9394 observations were collected, from which 6485 re- cords came from previous national atlases, 1790 from recent published and unpublished work, and 1119 co- rrespond to new observations made by the authors and their collaborators. Overall 31.0% of the records are pre- sented for the first time in a national atlas. Remarkable new records include those for Tarentola mauritanica and Blanus cinereus, enlarging their known range into areas where they were not thought to occur. We present and discuss amphibian and reptile species-density maps.

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This study was carried out in the Iberian-Mediterranean region of Alentejo (Southern Portugal) to discover which ‘montado’ management practices significantly affected reptile variables (abundance, richness). Field surveys on 30 sampling plots allowed us to identify 370 individuals distributed among 12 terrestrial reptile species (six lizards, one amphisbaenid and five colubrid snakes). The lizard Psammodromus algirus was the dominant species (n = 297 individuals). The highest species richness was comprised of five species, whilst two or three species were recorded in two-thirds of the sampling plots. Principal component analysis over management variables accounted for 71.8% of the total variance and subsequently helped to reveal four agrosilvopastoral types. Among them, the highest reptile abundance largely overlapped the cork oak montado, while higher cattle stocking rates were estimated (trampling index) to occur in the holm oak areas, affecting significantly the reptiles. Regression models also showed that both reptile abundance and richness were significantly related to montado areas, where the shrub layer is well preserved and cattle are either absent or present at low stocking rates. Adequate management of montado, preserving the shrub patchwork, is crucial for the conservation of reptiles. Livestock stocking rates should also be maintained at a sustainable level of 0.2–0.4 cattle/ha.

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The Iberian Peninsula was one of the most important Pleistocene glacial refugia in Europe. A number of recent studies have documented the phylogeography of Iberian taxa and their relationship to more widely distributed species that expanded from this southern European refugium. We use a comparative approach to review the literature that challenges the paradigm of Iberia as a single refuge during Pleistocene glacial maxima and instead supports the occurrence of several Iberian refugia for a range of flora and fauna. Some patterns of phylogeographic concordance were found between the refugial areas identified by different case studies and these broadly overlapped with previously recognized areas of high endemism in the Iberian Peninsula. Such patterns help to illustrate the internal complexity of the Iberian Peninsula as a glacial refugium, and show that for many species, populations with a high degree of genetic structure have existed throughout the Pleistocene. Importantly, the occurrence of these ‘refugia within-refugia’ may confound the interpretation of phylogeographic patterns of European species, and can misleadingly support the occurrence of northern refugia. We discuss these and other consequences, especially when a limited number of samples from the southern European refugia are used.

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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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The French Mediterranean region provides an ideal situation to study distribution changes that may be related to climate change. At the northern limits of the Mediterranean region one would predict a northward migration of thermophilous species adapted to the Mediterranean climate. This prediction was tested on the Ocellated Lizard, Lacerta lepida, a species typical of open habitats in the western Mediterranean. The habitats of 10 populations situated near the northern limit of the species’ distribution were studied using aerial photography. During the last 50 years an important loss of open habitats was noted as a result of woodland encroachment and loss of habitat to cultivation. This has led to the fragmentation and isolation of populations which may be the cause of their rapid decline. Our study shows that the evolution of the landscape due to the abandonment of extensive grazing (with subsequent tree re-colonisation or farming of formerly grazed parcels) plays a major role in the spatial dynamics of certain mediterranean animal species. In the case of the Ocellated Lizard the evolution of the landscape has caused a regression of populations at the northern limit of the species` distribution, hence the prediction extension due to climate change is not observed.

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Refuges are crucial for most animal species as they offer essential protection against predators and provide buffered environmental conditions to their occupants. Our data show that northern populations of the threatened ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus) depend on the availability of the burrows excavated by the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). In the last decade, a severe decline in rabbit populations has had a disastrous effect on lizard numbers. To compensate for the lack of refuges, artificial shelters were constructed in autumn 2005 and 2007 and were monitored the following years (2006-2009). Most of the artificial refuges were rapidly occupied by lizards, notably juveniles, suggesting that this technique was successful to improve lizard habitat. Because other factors such as food resources might be also crucial, further assessments are required to determine if artificial refuges are sufficient to stem population decline. These results nonetheless provide an encouraging option to maintain and/or to restore threatened populations, for instance through a buffering of rabbit burrow fluctuations. More generally, the availability of suitable refuges (e.g. natural or artificial) is likely to be a central component for the conservation of many reptile species. The combination of empirical and experimental data further demonstrates that great attention must be paid to the structure and distribution of the refuges and that simple practical actions can effectively improve habitat quality for threatened species.

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Refuges are crucial for most animal species as they offer essential protection against predators and provide buffered environmental conditions to their occupants. Our data show that northern populations of the threatened ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus) depend on the availability of the burrows excavated by the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). In the last decade, a severe decline in rabbit populations has had a disastrous effect on lizard numbers. To compensate for the lack of refuges, artificial shelters were constructed in autumn 2005 and 2007 and were monitored the following years (2006–2009). Most of the artificial refuges were rapidly occupied by lizards, notably juveniles, suggesting that this technique was successful to improve lizard habitat. Because other factors such as food resources might be also crucial, further assessments are required to determine if artificial refuges are sufficient to stem population decline. These results nonetheless provide an encouraging option to maintain and/or to restore threatened populations, for instance through a buffering of rabbit burrow fluctuations. More generally, the availability of suitable refuges (e.g. natural or artificial) is likely to be a central component for the conservation of many reptile species. The combination of empirical and experimental data further demonstrates that great attention must be paid to the structure and distribution of the refuges and that simple practical actions can effectively improve habitat quality for threatened species.

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The pattern of the yearly feeding activity of the Ocellated Lizard population on Oleron Island was studied during two one-year periods by collecting the lizards’ faeces along a transect. Collected faeces (753 in 2002, 646 in 2006) allowed understanding in more detail the quantity of the lizards’ food catch over a yearly cycle. Population feeding activity starts in the second 10-day period of March and ends in the third 10-day period of October. The peak of feeding activity was in May in 2002, and in June - July in 2006. This is explained mainly by the length of the day and the average temperature, and to a much lesser extent by the amount of sunshine or rainfall (calculated by multiple linear regression analysis). Findings were that in spite of the extreme geographical position of the Oleron Island population, the pattern of feeding activity varies little from that observed in the Ocellated Lizard populations in the south of France and central Spain. With some conditions, the faeces-collection study method could be used for long-term population monitoring

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In diesem Naturführer werden auf über 100 Farbfotos alle mitteleuroipäischen Arten und darüber hinaus auch süd- und osteuropäische vorgestellt: Frösche, Kröten, Molche und Salamander, Schildkröten, Echsen und Schlangen. Fachkundige Texte informirern über Kennzeichen, Vorkommrn, Verhalten, Fortpflanzung, Ernährung und Besonderheiten. Der bewährte Kosmos-Farbcode teilt die Amphibien und Reptilien nach ihrer Verwandtschaft in 5 Gruppen ein und erleichtert so die Bestimmung. Die praktischen Klappen bieten interessante Zusatzinformationen über Froschlurchentwicklung, Laichformen und anatomischen Besonderheiten bei Reptilien.

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Observations on Ihe Ocellated Lizard (Lacerta lepida) on the peninsula of Peniche, Portugal. The animals were found on a sandy hill close to a large hotel.

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DNA sequences from parts of the 12S, 16S and cytochrome b mitochondrial genes, which totalled 1049 aligned base pairs, were used to estimate the relationships of 49 species of Lacertidae, including representatives of 19 out of the 23 recognized genera and 23 species of the paraphyletic genus Lacerta. These data were used, together with morphological information, to estimate the relationships within the family. Molecular evidence corroborates the monophyletic status of many genera and species groups originally based on morphology. It indicates that Psammodromus forms a clade with Gallotia, which is the sister taxon of all other lacertids. These comprise three units: the primarily Afrotropical armatured group; the largely Oriental Takydromus; and the west Palaearctic Lacerta and its derivatives, Podarcis and Algyroides. Morphology also supports the first three assemblages, but suggests that they are derived from a paraphyletic Lacerta. Within Lacerta and its allies, DNA sequence analysis corroborates the affinity of some members of each of the subgenera Lacerta s. str. and Timon, and of the L. saxicola group. It also supports the relationship of L. monticola, L. bonnali and L. horvathi, and suggests that the L. parva–L. fraasi clade and L. brandti are not related to Psammodromus–Gallotia, as morphology indicates, but instead are associated respectively with the L. danfordi and L. saxicola groups. DNA sequence data provide additional evidence that the eastern Arabian `Lacerta` jayakari and `L.` cyanura are members of the armatured clade and also sister species. Our analysis supports an origin for present lacertids in west Eurasia. The armatured clade invaded Africa, probably in the mid-Miocene, spreading widely and evolving increasingly xeric-adapted forms, one lineage of which later moved back into the Palaearctic. `Lacerta` jayakari and `L.` cyanura are assigned to Omanosaura, Lutz and Mayer 1986. The name Gallotiinae Cano, Baez, Lopez-Jurado and Ortega, 1984 is available for the Gallotia–Psammodromus clade, Eremiainae Shcherbak 1975 for the armatured clade and Lacertinae for Lacerta, Podarcis and Algyroides. Two new subgenera of Lacerta are proposed here: Caucasilacerta for L. saxicola and its allies, and Parvilacerta for L. parva and L. fraasi.

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The diet of Lacerta lepida in the province of León (NW Spain) was studied through the analysis of 286 faecal pellets collected during May-August. Insecta were the numerically most important prey group, and always represented more than 85 % of prey numbers. Coleoptera and Hymenoptera were the dominant orders. Other important prey groups were Heteroptera and Arachnida. The number of Orthoptera consumed increased gradually from May to August. With respect to the occurrence frequency of prey in the faecal pellets, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera occurred in more than 75% at all times. The lowest trophic diversity was detected in june-july. Seasonal changes in the diet were noteworthy within short-terms and augmented in the long-term. The average length of the invertebrate prey was within the interval 9-14 mm. In terms of energy content, Vertebrata (43.82%), Coleoptera (15.77%), Orthoptera (14.40%) and Hymenoptera (13.95%) were the principal groups. L. lepida is considered to be an opportunistic feeder, although some prey groups are apparently selected.

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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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The diet of the Ocellated Lizard Lacerta lepida was studied by means of faecal analysis, during two consecutive summers, in an arid zone of south-east Spain. The analysis of 181 faecal samples revealed 1929 prey items. Coleoptera was consistently the main group in the diet; two beetle species, Ditomus capito and Morica hybrida , maintained a frequency of around 40% in the diet. Vertebrates and gastropods were scarce, whereas plant food, comprised of fleshy fruits of Caper Capparis spinosa and Ephedra Ephedra distachya , varied in importance throughout the study period. The lizard diet was also compared with prey availability, estimated by pitfall traps. Selectivity analysis showed strong selection of the lizard upon some groups and systematic rejection of others. Daily activity of the Ocellated Lizard, as well as its diet composition, was studied in relation to daily activity of prey. The lizard diet proved to be based on nocturnal prey, implying active searching for these groups during the day, or a partially crepuscular-nocturnal activity in the lizard, overlapping with prey activity. The lack of diurnal sightings of the lizard throughout the summer favours the second option. The ecological implications of this feeding strategy in arid systems are discussed.

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Presentamos nuevos registros de distribución en malla UTM de 10x10 km para Psammodromus algirus, Coronella austriaca y Vipera latastei en Soria, Castilla y León (España). Así mismo reportamos la sintopía de Podarcis muralis y Podarcis liolepis en dicha área. Adicionalmente, proveemos información detallada de la ocurrencia de 17 especies de reptiles y anfibios como contribución al esfuerzo de elaboración de mapas de herpetofauna de Soria.

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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 Ocellated Lizard, Timon lepidus (Daudin 1802) occupies the Mediterranean regions of southwestern Europe (Portugal, Spain, France, and the extreme northwest of Italy). Over the last decades, a marked decline in its population has been observed, particularly on the northern edge of its distribution. As a result, it is currently considered a threatened species, especially in France and Italy. In France, a national action plan for its conservation has been put in place. In this study, ecological niche modelling (ENM) was carried out over the entire area of France in order to evaluate the species’ potential distribution, more accurately defne its ecological niche, guide future surveys, and inform land use planning so this species can be better taken into consideration. The modelling used data representing 2,757 observation points spread over the known range of the species, and 34 ecogeographical variables (climate, topography, and vegetation cover) were evaluated. After removing correlated variables, models were ftted with several combinations of variables using eight species distribution model (SDM) algorithms, and then their performance was assessed using three model accuracy metrics. Iterative trials changing the input variables were used to obtain the best model. The optimized model included nine determining variables. The results indicate the presence of this species is linked primarily to three climate variables: precipitation in the driest month, precipitation seasonality, and mean temperature in the driest quarter. The model was checked by a sample dataset that was not used to ft the model, and this validation dataset represented 25% of the overall feld observations. Of the known occurrence locations kept aside to check the results, 94% fell within the presence area predicted by the modelled map with a presence probability greater than 0.7, and 90% fell within the area with a presence probability ranging from 0.8 to 1, which represents a very high predictive value. These results indicate that the models closely matched the observed distribution, suggesting a low impact of either geographical factors (barriers to dispersal), historical factors (dispersal process), or ecological factors (e.g., competition, trophic resources). The overlap between the predicted distribution and protected areas for this species reveals that less than 1% of the potential distribution area is protected by strong regulatory measures (e.g., national parks and natural reserves). The knowledge obtained in this study allows us to recommend some guidelines that would favor the conservation of this species.

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Many species of lizards are partially enveloped by a dermal armour made of ossified units called osteoderms. Lizard osteoderms demonstrate considerable species-specific variation in morphology and histology. Although a physical/protective role (against predators, prey, conspecifics and impact loading during falls) is frequently advanced, empirical data on the biomechanics of lizard osteoderms are scarce, limiting our understanding of form–function relationships. Here, we report deformation recorded at the surface of temporal osteoderms during controlled external loading of preserved specimens of 11 lizard species (Tiliqua rugosa, Tiliqua scincoides, Corucia zebrata, Pseudopus apodus, Timon lepidus, Matobosaurus validus, Broadleysaurus major, Tribolonotus gracilis, Tribolonotus novaeguineae, Heloderma horridum and Heloderma suspectum). Based on the strain recorded in situ and from isolated osteoderms, the skin of the species investigated can be ranked along a marked stiffness gradient that mostly reflects the features of the osteoderms. Some species such as T. rugosa and the two Heloderma species had very stiff osteoderms and skin while others such as T. lepidus and P. apodus were at the other end of the spectrum. Histological sections of the osteoderms suggest that fused (versus compound) osteoderms with a thick layer of capping tissue are found in species with a stiff skin. In most cases, loading neighbouring osteoderms induced a large strain in the instrumented osteoderm, attesting that, in most species, lizard osteoderms are tightly interconnected. These data empirically confirm that the morphological diversity observed in lizard osteoderms is matched by variability in biomechanical properties.

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Ecological factors determining the geographic distribution of Timon lepida are poorly known. This work modelled the potential geographic distribution of Timon lepida at two spatial scales: 1. Landscape (Andalucía) 2. Regional (Spain) and analyzed the degree to which this distribution is associated with different predictor variables (e.g. temperature, solar radiation, topography, vegetation etc). The objectives of this study are to: (1) determine the most important predictor variables influencing the spatial distribution of Timon lepida; (2) generate potential geographic distribution maps for this species and (3) compare the predictive powers of environmental variables and hyper temporal NDVI to predict this distribution. Maxent, a presence-only distribution modelling technique was used to model predicted ranges for Timon lepida, using a large dataset of 10*10 km UTM presence only records collected between 1998-2002 period over Europe and a set of biophysical variable of 1*1 km resolution. To test the average behavior of the algorithm, 10 iterative models were produced by dividing all the presence records into 70% for training and 30% for testing. Three sets of model scenarios were generated: (i) models including environmental variables, (ii) models including environmental variables and vegetation and (iii) models including vegetation indices. Model accuracy was measured with binomial tests of omission rates and the area under the curve (AUC). All models were significantly better than random by the binomial test and AUC measure. The AUC score for models built using environmental variables was always higher indicating better discrimination of suitable and unsuitable areas for the species. For the two spatial scales, environmental variables models had a superior predictive ability than vegetation models. These findings did not support our hypothesis. The results indicate that at a landscape level, topographic variables (aspect and slope) are the most important whereas at a regional scale, climatic variables (temperature seasonality, solar radiation, altitude) and hyper temporal NDVI appear to have a significant effect on this distribution pattern. The results of the present study can be an important contribution to a better understanding of the ecological requirements of the species. The conclusions would be more precise if the adequate precise high resolution environmental data is included in the future application and reliable datasets of current conditions are identified to improve results.

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Report on the unsuccessful search for Timon lepidus (DAUDIN, 1802) on the occasion of a one days visit to the Portuguese island of Berlenga.

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Report on the unsuccessful search for Timon lepidus (DAUDIN, 1802) on the occasion of a one days visit to the Portuguese island of Berlenga.

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Psammodromus algirus, Podarcis hispanica, Timon lepidus and Tarentola mauritanica were observed in the surroundings of Lloret de Mar, NE Spain.

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This report describes the successful keeping of adult and juvenile Timon lepidus and male starred agama in a common enclosure.

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The distribution and the ratios between noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) cells in eight species belonging to the family Lacertidae were studied. There are variations in the distribution of the two cell types within the gland and a wide range of variation in the NA/A cell ratio. Comparing their data with palaeontological, anatomical and biochemical evidence, the authors are inclined to consider G. galloti and L. graeca as the most ancient lizards among those studied and to ascribe L. graeca to the group Lacerta part II together with L. dugesii. P. pityusensis should also be ascribed to the same group on the basis of the result, of this study. The other four species studied (L. lepida, L. trilineata, L. viridis and L. schreiberi) appear to be of fairly recent origin and should be ascribed to the group Lacerta part I, on the basis of the homogeneous distribution of the chromaffin cells inside the adrenal gland and their low NA/A cell ratios.

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Immunological reactions tested according to Libby`s photronreflectometric technique show that: (i) Archaeolacerta Mertens, 1921, and Podarcis Wagler, 1830, are independent genera and not subgenera of Lacerta Linnaeus, 1758; (ii) Podarcis muralis (Laurenti, 1768), Podarcis sicula (Rafinesque, 1810), Archaeolacerta bedriagae (Camerano, 1885), Archaeolacerta monticola (Boulenger, 1905), Lacerta lepida Daudin, 1802, Lacerta schreiberi Bedriaga, 1878 and Lacerta viridis (Laurenti, 1768) are full species; (iii) Podarcis tiliguerta is a subspecies of P. muralis: P. muralis tiliguerta (Gmelin, 1789).

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Understanding speciation requires the integration of ecology, evolution and the role of history in shaping the diversification or decline of lineages. To gain understanding on how variation is generated and maintained within and between natural populations, we must understand both how variation in phenotype may affect the fitness of individuals in their local environment, and how natural selection is shaping the genome of those organisms. Next generation sequencing together with new analytical approaches have fundamentally changed the scope of studies of non-model organisms and thus, the available tools to answer long-standing questions underwent remarkable evolution. We are now, more than ever before, equipped to establishing missing links between phenotype, genotype and environment, which will provide a detailed picture of the adaptive evolutionary process. Studies of the genomics of speciation along the speciation continuum are emerging in several non-model organisms, mainly where speciation is driven by ecology and divergent selection. The present study was the first applying RAD-Seq to natural populations of Timon lepidus, which allowed the analysis of thousands of polymorphic molecular markers simultaneously, across this lizard’s genome. The objective was to assess the putative incipient process of speciation between two subspecies, and further understand how populations adaptively diverge in heterogeneous environments. The SNP data generated allowed us to address different scopes of T. lepidus evolutionary history, allowing the assessment of the population genomics of this species considering differently acting evolutionary forces. The main pattern of divergence between populations reflects local adaptation rather than the expected incipient speciation pattern accordant with taxonomy, and further evidence of local adaptation and repeated ecological evolution are provided both by genomic and environmental information of this species. Phenotype assessment proved to be inconclusive regarding the taxonomic arrangement of populations and additional research should uncover this patterns. Therefore, the current taxonomy should be reviewed in the light of the speciation continuum, taking into account the pattern of local adaptation expressed by these populations.

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Herpetological observations were made over a period ofeight days in three areas ofsouthern France. The places visited included the Camargue, the area below Perpignan and the surroundings of the town of Privas. The 19 species we saw, are described in this article and are mentioned in the accompanying table.

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Die Serra de Säo Mamede mit ihrem collinen Umland (Provinz Alto Alentejo/ Portugal) ist Gegenstand einer herpetofaunistischen Studie. Das isoliert auf einer 300 m hoch liegenden Ebene aufbauende Gebirgssystem überschreitet als einziges in Portugal südlich des Rio Tejo die l 000 m-Grenze. Die klimatischen Bedingungen weichen vom Etesienklima des Umlandes durch atlantische Klimakomponenten (hohe Niederschläge und Luftfeuchte, tiefere Temperaturen) deutlich ab. Diese Voraussetzungen begünstigen das sympatrische Vorkommen mediterraner und atlantischer Floren- und Faunenelemente und dadurch eine hohe Artendiversität. Mit 15 Amphibien- bzw. 20 Reptilienarten beherbergt das Untersuchungsgebiet 82 % der Amphibien- und 74 % der Reptilienarten Kontinentalportugals und zählt somit zu den artenreichsten Regionen des Landes. Bemerkenswert sind die als glaziale Relikte interpretierten isolierten Populationen der 3 iberoatlantischen Endemiten Alytes obstetricans boscai, Rana iberica und Lacerta schreiben. Während Lacerta schreiben noch 2 weitere Montanisolate südlich des Tejo aufweist, beschränkt sich das Vorkommen von Alytes obstetricans boscai und Rana iberica auf die Serra de Säo Mamede.

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ln der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Herpetofauna von über 50 portugiesischen Gebirgszügen zusammengestellt: für jedes Gebirge der hõchste bisher bekannte Fundort der einzelnen Arten mit Hôhenangabe. Es ist das Ergebnis vierjiähriger Untersuchungen (1976-1980).

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In northeastern Portugal a specimen of Lacerta lepida was observed that escaped into a brook where it hid among submerse vegetation. There the lizard stayed for four minutes before it tried to reach the land again.

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This survey is presenting the geographical range of 17 amphibian and 29 reptile species (including the marine turtles) known to occur in Portugal, based on available data from the literature as well as ehe author`s own observations during the years 1976- 1981. It is the first attempt to map exactly the herpetofauna of a southern European country. Data are given concerning the horizontal and vertical distribution of each species, the density of distribution as well as the typical habitats, the latter being described in some detail. The rhythm of activity of most of the species depends on the different climatic conditions within this country. The few available phenological data are sum- marized.

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Der hier herpetologisch untersuchte Raum schließt sich unmittelbar östlich an das gleichsmning durchforschte Areal zwischen Ericeira und Sintra (vgl. MALKMus 1979 b) an. Die vorliegende Arbeit soll als 2. Teil der ehen zitierten verstanden weIden. Da häufig auf dieses westlich liegende Gebiet bezug genommen wird, wird es aus Gründen der Platzersparnis im weiteren Text als A, bezeichnet Nachdem das Gebiet in seinem südöstlichen Teil fast die nördlichen Ausläufer der Llssaboner Vorortzeoae Loures/Guerreiros tangiert, möchte man annehmen, daß ein solches Kartierungsvorhaben nach dem Studium der Literatur auf der Basis eines reichen Datenmaterials aufbauen könnte. Mit Verwunderung m`ß man jedoch feststellen, daß nicht mehr als 2 Fundpunkte zur Verfügung stehen (CRESPO 1791, 1972). Somit smd alle nachgenannten Daten Neunachwelse für das Gebiet, die erstmals in den Kartierungsatlas (MALKMUS 1982 c) aufgenommen wurden. Verteilt auf 41 Exkursionen wurde die Untersuchungsfläche zwischen November 1977 und Juni 1981 systematisch kartiert. Der erfahrene Feldherpetologe weiß, daß dies nicht genügt, um in einem Gebiet diesen Umfanges auch Dur annähernd umfassend die oben genannte Zielsetzung zu erreichen. Der hier publizierte Aufsatz will deshalb auch mehr Anregung zur Weiterarbeit sein, als ein abgeschlossenes Forschungsvorhaben beschreiben.

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Die Verbreitung der Amphibien und Reptilien Südost-Portugals — östlich der Linie Albufeira-Ourique und südlich des Rio Terges — sind Gegenstand dieser Veröffentlichung. Nach Darstellung der geologischen und klimatischen Bedingungen erfolgt eine Habitatcharakterisierung auf der Basis von Vegetationseinheiten. Ein kurzer Abriß zur Geschichte der Herpetofaunistik des Untersuchungsgebietes zeigt, daß die ersten Fundortmeldungen bis 1879 zurückzuverfolgen sind. Es wurden 12 Amphibienund 22 Reptilienarten (einschließlich 2 mariner Schildkröten) registriert - 62 % der Herpetofauna Festland-Portugals. Die Verbreitungsdarstellung der einzelnen Arten erfolgt in Form einer Punktkartierung. Habitatstruktur, geologische, hydrologische und klimatische Voraussetzungen sind in den einzelnen Landschaftsgroßräumen teilweise sehr unterschiedlich mit einer entsprechend unterschiedlichen Artenzusammensetzung der sie besiedelnden Herpetozönosen und zum Teil scharfen Verbreitungsgrenzen einzelner Arten. Die größte Artendiversität (12 Amphibien, 20 Reptilien) beherbergen die requisitenreichen zum Teil mit Eichenhainen durchsetzten Macchien, während Pinus- und Ewcs/i/pfus-Aufforstungen und Extremstandorte (Dünen, Marschwiesen) weniger als 5 Arten aufweisen. Großflächige anthropogene Eingriffe (forstliche Monokulturen, touristische Erschließung und Zersiedlung der Küstenzone, starke Verschmutzung der Fließgewässer) der letzten zehn Jahre führten regional besonders unter den Amphibienbeständen zu starken Rückgängen.

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Zwischen 1976 und 2002 wurde die Artenzusammensetzung der Herpetofauna an 90 Ruinen von Wassermühlen in Portugal untersucht. Es wurden 12 Amphibien- und 19 Reptilienarten registriert, die 69 % der in Kontinental-Portugal vorkommenden Arten repräsentieren. Die Zusammensetzung der Herpetozönosen wird durch die geografische Lage, den Habitattypus des Umfeldes und der Phase des Zerfallsprozesses der einzelnen Mühlen geprägt. Durch die anthropogene Belastung der Flüsse ist vielerorts eine deutliche Reduzierung der Individuendichte und Artenzahl der Amphibien und hydrophiler Reptilien zu verzeichnen.

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In 26 Portuguese castles 5 amphibian and 11 reptile species were recorded. Most species immigrated into the castle area from the surrounded environment. In some regions the distribution of Tarentola mauritanica and Hemidactylus turcicus is restricted to castles and the adjacent village or town; it is highly probable that they were introduced there by man. The microhabitat castle is highly endangered by restaurations.

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Die Arbeit befasst sich mit den Verbreitungsverhältnissen der Amphibien und Reptilien in einem atlantomediterranen Karstgebiet, Natural das Serras de Aire e Candeeiros (PNSAC). Die geologischen und klimatischen Verhältnisse, sowie das Habitatinventar und die herpetofaunistische Literatur werden vorgestellt. Es folgen Angaben zu den im Naturpark registrierten 12 Amphibien- und 17 Reptilienarten, deren Verbreitung in Form einer Punktkartierung innerhalb des 10 x 10 km UTM-Gitternetzes dargestellt wird. 85 % der Arten sind thermophile westmediterrane, die übrigen holomediterrane, west- und zentraleuropäische Faunenelemente. Unterschiede der Artenzusammensetzung des Untersuchungsgebietes im Vergleich zu jener von Karstgebieten im südlichen Portugal sowie die menschlichen Einflüsse durch den wachsenden Verkehr, die expandierende Urbanisierung, der übermäßige Einsatz an Agrochemie, der Landnutzungswandel und die häufigen Großbrände werden diskutiert.

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Portugal ist ein beliebtes Urlaubsland. Vor allem die Metropole Lissabon und die Atlantikstrände des Algarve ziehen Touristen an. Aber das Land an der Südwestspitze Europas hat noch viel mehr zu bieten. Die Serra de Montemuro ist ein lohnendes Reiseziel auch für alle, die nach Amphibien und Reptiulien Ausschau halten.

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Gegenstand dieser Veröffentlichung ist die Darstellung der Verbreitungsverhältnisse der Amphibien und Reptilien der östlichen Beira Baixa (östliches Mittelportugal). Einleitend werden die geologischen und klimatischen Bedingungen beschrieben, das Habitatinventar und die den Raum betreffende herpetofaunistische Literatur vorgestellt. Im Untersuchungsgebiet wurden 16 Amphibien- und 23 Reptilienarten registriert, deren Verbreitung kartografisch auf der Basis eines 1 x 1 km UTM-Gitternetzes dargestellt wird. Während auf dem südlichen und zentralen Planalto mesomediterrane Arten vorherrschen, werden diese im nördlich gelegenen höheren Bergland durch supramediterrane und eurosibirische ersetzt. Pelodytes ibericus erreicht im Untersuchungsgebiet sein küstenfern nördlichstes, Hyla meridionalis den Grenzbereich seines landesweit nördlichsten Vorkommens. Triturus marmoratus und Triturus pygmaeus erscheinen in einer teilweise über 10 km breiten Überlappungszone in Sympatrie. Abschließend wird das Gefährdungspotenzial anthropogener Einflüsse (Ausbau der Infrastruktur, Einsatz von Agrochemie, Landnutzungswandel) auf die Herpetozönosen diskutiert und die Bedeutung der im Untersuchungsgebiet liegenden beiden großen Schutzzonen (Reserva da Serra da Malcata, Parque Natural Tejo Internacional) für die Herpetofauna erläutert.

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Wir stellen die Verbreitungsverhältnisse der Amphibien und Reptilien der Barroso-Region (Nordportugal) vor. Einleitend werden die geologischen und klimatischen Bedingungen des Untersuchungsgebietes beschrieben, die Habitattypen und die sich auf den Kartierungsraum beziehende herpetofaunistische Literatur vorgestellt. Bisher wurden 12 Amphibien- und 19 Reptilienarten registriert. Ihre Verbreitung wird kartografisch auf der Basis eines 1 x 1 km UTM-Gitternetzes dargestellt. Charakteristisch für den gesamten Untersuchungsraum ist die Dominanz eurosibirischer Arten mit zahlreichen nordiberischen Endemiten (Chioglossa lusitanica, Rana iberica, Lacerta schreiberi, Podarcis bocagei, Vipera seoanei), unter die sich an der klimabegünstigten Südabdachung einige mediterrane Arten (Tarentola mauritanica, Blanus cinereus) mischen. Vipera seoanei erreicht im Untersuchungsgebiet das am weitesten nach Süden vorgeschobene Vorkommen ihres Gesamtareals; Psammodromus hispanicus und Chalcides bedriagai die nordwestliche Grenzzone ihrer Verbreitung in Portugal. Abschließend wird auf die Bedeutung des Einflusses der anthropogenen Landschaftsgestaltung auf die Verbreitungsmuster der einzelnen Arten hingewiesen und die aktuellen Gefährdungsursachen (Landnutzungswandel, Wiederbewaldung, Talsperrenbau) beschrieben.

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We describe the distribution of the amphibians and reptiles of the Serra de Monte-muro (northern Portugal). In the introduction the geological and climatical condi-tions of this region as well as the habitat types and the herpetofaunistic studies are described. 11 amphibian and 17 reptile species were recorded. The distribution pat-tern of each species is shown by maps using the 1 x 1 km squares of the UTM grid system. In the montane region predominate north Iberian endemits (Chioglossa lusi-tanica, Rana iberica, Lacerta schreiberi; the occurrence of Podarcis bocagei is doubtful) and ubiquists (Salamandra salamandra, Triturus marmoratus, Lissotriton boscai, Pelophy-lax perezi; Chalcides striatus, Timon lepidus, Podarcis guadarramae). Along the rivers (Rio Douro, Rio Paiva), areas with components of Mediterranean climate, thermophile species (Chalcides bedriagai, Blanus cinereus, Hemorrhois hippocrepis) penetrate into the investigated area. Within the region Podarcis carbonelli reaches the northernmost oc-currence of its total distribution range. Remarkable is the high number of individuals of some montane Hyla molleri populations. Finally, the human impact on the land-scape (change of agricultural activities, reforestation in monocultures, widespread forest fires), its influence on the distribution pattern of the amphibians and reptiles and the efforts for protect the habitats are discussed.

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Understanding the local effects of climate change on biodiversity is essential to guide environmental and management policies for natural areas. The lack of knowledge at the regional level has led to the development of a research program `Climate sentinels`. The main hypothesis of the program is that effects on biodiversity are particularly detectable in species that have low movement abilities. These `climate sentinel` species would be the first to respond to local climatic variations by adaptation or local extinction. From the territory of New Aquitaine (France), 20 biological indicators of climate change in different ecosystems (dune, dry, wet, mountain and forest) were chosen: plants communities of ecosystems, insects (butterflies, dragonflies, bumblebees), amphibians (Rana pyrenaica, Hyla molleri, H. arborea), reptiles (Iberolacerta bonnali, Timon lepidus, Zootoca vivipara, Emys orbicularis, Vipera berus) and mammals (Marmota marmota, micromammals). This paper presents the method of development of these indicators and the research hypotheses associated with climate sentinel species.

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Some aspects of the herpetofauna of an area of the exterior mountain-chain of Western Catalan Pre-Pyrenees are analized. This area is a transition from dry Mediterranean plain -influenced by continental climate- to middle Mediterranean mountain- with eurosiberian influence-. Although characteristic Mediterranean elements (ibero-mogrebian) prevail, this transition character appears also in herpetology. The most representative species of both areas are: Euproctus asper (from the Pyrenees), Anguis fragilis, Vipera aspis (of central Europe) and Pelobates cultripes, Coluber hippocrepis, Psammodromus hispanicus (of ibero-mogrebian origin). In this area 22 species have been found: 8 Amphibians and 14 or 15 Reptiles (depending on the acceptance of the presence of Podarcis muralis).

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In vertebrates, skin colour patterns emerge from nonlinear dynamical microscopic systems of cell interactions. Here we show that in ocellated lizards a quasi-hexagonal lattice of skin scales, rather than individual chromatophore cells, establishes a green and black labyrinthine pattern of skin colour. We analysed time series of lizard scale colour dynamics over four years of their development and demonstrate that this pattern is produced by a cellular automaton (a grid of elements whose states are iterated according to a set of rules based on the states of neighbouring elements) that dynamically computes the colour states of individual mesoscopic skin scales to produce the corresponding macroscopic colour pattern. Using numerical simulations and mathematical derivation, we identify how a discrete von Neumann cellular automaton emerges from a continuous Turing reaction–diffusion system. Skin thickness variation generated by three-dimensional morphogenesis of skin scales causes the underlying reaction–diffusion dynamics to separate into microscopic and mesoscopic spatial scales, the latter generating a cellular automaton. Our study indicates that cellular automata are not merely abstract computational systems, but can directly correspond to processes generated by biological evolution.

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Vertebrate skin is a remarkable organ that supports and protects the body. It consists of two layers, the epidermis and the underlying dermis. In some tetrapods, the dermis includes mineralised organs known as osteoderms (OD). Lizards, with over 7,000 species, show the greatest diversity in OD morphology and distribution, yet we barely understand what drives this diversity. This multiscale analysis of five species of lizards, whose lineages diverged ∼100–150 million years ago, compared the micro- and macrostructure, material properties, and bending rigidity of their ODs, and examined the underlying bones of the skull roof and jaw (including teeth when possible). Unsurprisingly, OD shape, taken alone, impacts bending rigidity, with the ODs of Corucia zebrata being most flexible and those of Timon lepidus being most rigid. Macroscopic variation is also reflected in microstructural diversity, with differences in tissue composition and arrangement. However, the properties of the core bony tissues, in both ODs and cranial bones, were found to be similar across taxa, although the hard, capping tissue on the ODs of Heloderma and Pseudopus had material properties similar to those of tooth enamel. The results offer evidence on the functional adaptations of cranial ODs, but questions remain regarding the factors driving their diversity.