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Observations regarding Phoenicolacerta troodica in its typical (semi)natural habitats in Northern Cyprus are described. Ph. troodica, at first, was thought to be a subspecies of Ph. laevis. But detailed studies revealed that Ph. troodica should be considered a full species. Fact is that this lizard lives on Cyprus only. This makes it an endemic species. The author describes this typical wall lizard species as very opportunistic. It can be found in various natural en semi-natural habitats (garden walls, roadsides, walls or rocky formations in forest areas. Sometimes other reptile species were found in the same habitat. For instance Laudakia stellio which, in theory, could be a predator, especially for young Phoenicolacerta. According to the author this species is fairly easy to recognize. Both sexes have a typical white colored band on the flanks. This paper contains a list with differences between Ph. troodica and Ph. laevis and a list with biometrical data regarding Ph. troodica. Some information on predation en predators is also presented.

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The sixty-seven specimens collected from the north of Girne-Begparmak Mountain Range on the island of Cyprus and the specimens of Lacertalaevislaevisfrom Anatolia, which have been studied by Budak (1). are examined comparatively for taxonomical features, and the description of the race from Cyprus Island is reviewed. In conclusion, the subspecies of L. I.troodica, which have been described by Werner (2) based on a total of 6 specimens. can not be distinguished from the continental specimens with the diagnostic features given. In distinguishing the two races, we present two different and new characteristics which may point to a difference in species level. The following taxonomic key is proposed for diagnosis: 1. Median gularia number is high (average 25), the scales of gular region very small; parallell `subocular bands` extend below the temporal bands, and below these an orange-red region is present ...........L. I.troodica. - Median gularia number is less (average 20). gular scales larger: the subocular lines below the temporal bands extend up to the mid-trunk level .......... L. I.laevis.

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

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

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Investigated the albumins from 31 species and subspecies of the genus Lacerta s.1. by means of the immunoloical techniue Micro-Complement-fixation. Dendrograms were computed by means of the ktch-MargJiash algorithm. Moreover the taxa of the Lacerta saxicola and the Lacerta danfordi comlexes were analyzed by electrophoresis concerning 14 genetic loci. The results were discussel together with karyological and genitalmorphological data so far known yielding the following relationships: Lacerta graeca shows a closer relationshi to the subgenus Podarcis as does the quite closely related species air L. dugesii and L. perspicikata. Lacerta Iaevis probabl is connected closely to Podarcis, too. Lacerta parva shows a closer relationship to the `small izards` than to the sub-genus Lacerta s. str. A clear decision concerning the position of the Lacerta danfordi complex according to chemosystematical data was not possible. It is isolated from the other species probably about as long as L. puma. Biochemical differences between its `species` are too small to confirm their taxonomical revalorisation by Eiselt and Schmidtler Within the Lacerta saxicola complex the investigated taxa show a close relationship. Lacerta praticola and L. derjugini were definitly assigned to this group.

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

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

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

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

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

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The present study compares the blood serum proteins of populations of the Lacerta laevis complex from northern Cyprus and southern Turkey (Adana) by polyacrylamide-disc electrophoresis. There are discernible differences between the electropherograms of blood serum proteins of the two populations. In the light of these differences, it would be appropriate to accept the northern Cyprus population as a distinct species, Lacerta troodica, as suggested previously by BUDAK & GÖÇMEN (1995).

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Vertebral laminae are bony ridges or sheets that connect important morphological landmarks on the vertebrae, like diapophyses or zygapophyses. They usually exhibit some serial variation throughout the column. A consistent terminology facilitates the morphological description of this variation, and the recognition of patterns that could be taxonomically significant and could serve as phylogenetic characters. Such a terminology was designed for saurischian dinosaurs, and has also been applied to other members of Archosauri- formes. Herein, this terminology is applied for the first time to lizards (Squamata). Probably due to their generally smaller size compared to saurischian dinosaurs, lizards have less developed vertebral laminae. Some laminae could not be recognized in this group and oth- ers require new names to account for differences in basic vertebral morphology. For instance, the fusion of diapophysis and parapophysis in lacertids into a structure called synapophysis necessitates the creation of the new term synapophyseal laminae for both diapophyseal and parapophyseal laminae. An assessment of occurrence and serial varia- tion in a number of lacertid species shows that some laminae develop throughout ontogeny or only occur in large-sized species, whereas the distribution of other laminae might prove to be taxonomically significant in future.

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Keeping and breeding of Lacerta laevis troodica from Cyprus is described. One male and two females were kept in a terrarium with the size of 50 x 40 x 40 cm (later 80 x 45 x 50 cm). The two females produced 2 and 3 clutches with 2 - 4 eggs. After an incubation time of 50 days at temperatures of 27 - 32 °C during the day and 22 - 24 °C during the night 3 hatchlings appeared on 03.08.94. They measured 71, 72 and 75 mm (26 mm SV). Mating behaviour could be observed between the two females and is briefly discussed. The adult male showed a cataleptic behaviour when it was caught out of the terrarium. In October the male suddenly showed an aggressive behaviour and fought the females vehemently which led to the death of the two females.

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The current work is part of AgroLIFE project that aims to implement sustainable agriculture practices and conservation actions in High Nature Value farmlands (HNVfs) of Cyprus. AgroLIFE is focused on two traditional crops, carob groves in Anogyra region and vineyards in Commandaria regions, where four fields from each crop type are subject to sustainable agriculture practices (diversified fields) and numerous rocky shelters were created on the margin areas. The overall aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of rocky shelters (stonewalls, rock piles and hibernacula) on reptile conservation and the increase of reptile biodiversity in agricultural areas. For achieving this we monitored once a month (from March to June 2016), 12 fields of each cultivation type (carob groves and vineyards). The fields were separated into groups of four depending on the cultivation practices applied (Conventional, Diversified, Abandoned). Three line transects were monitored in each field (two in the margins and one in the centre) and the number of lizard species present was recorded. Species diversity in each transect line was calculated using the Shannon-Weiner diversity index. One-way and two-way ANOVA was used to assess the impact of rocky shelter type (new, well preserved, medium preserved, absent), transect position within the field (margins, centre) and cultivation practice, on lizards diversity. Preliminary results indicate a highly dependency between species diversity and shelter quality independent of the cultivation type. Areas with newly constructed rocky shelters along with field margins present higher numbers of lacertid species (mainly Ophisops elegans and Phoenicolacera troodica) and higher diversity than areas with less preserved shelters such as the centre of the fields. Results also indicate that cultivation practice is less important for reptile conservation than the quality of shelters in the field’s margins.