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An annotated list of amphibian and reptile species of the Russian Far East is presented with due account of modern data on the taxa systematics. 13 Amphibian species and 27 reptile ones have been reliably registered by now, including several random sea species.

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TERRA TYPICA. Chemul’po, Korea. DISTRIBUTION. It occurs in Korea, south-east Manchuria and eastern China from where it penetrates into the south of the Primorsky Territory approximately to the valley of the river Iman in Russia. CONSERVATION STATUS. Not determined.

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

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The east Asian lacertid lizard genus, Takydromus, is well-defined but its relationships to other primitive Palaearctic lacertids are still uncertain and, although it has similarities to the lower Miocene Miolacerta. Takydromus does not appear to be identical with this. The 16 or 17 recognizable species are reviewed and a key provided for their identification; the remaining area of uncertainty about species boundaries is the Takydromus sexlineatus group in Assam. A phylogeny for Takydromus is estimated using a data set of 35 morphological characters drawn from external features, skeleton and soft-parts. There are two main constituent clades which may be informally recognized as Takydromus s.s. and Platyplacopus. Platyplacopus is subtropical and perhaps relict, whereas Takydromus ranges from temperature to tropical areas. The two clades have different ranges of eggs per clutch. In both of them, elongate forms that climb-extensively in flimsy vegetation have evolved and have independently acquired similar features that confer performance advantages in this situation. Interestingly, the order of assembly of these features is markedly different.

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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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From the perspectives of biodiversity conservation and management, there is an urgent need to have at hand current synopses of classification and distributions of species. In this paper, we review and summarize the classifications, Chinese and English names, type specimens, type localities and distributions of China’s lizard fauna to promote scientific exchange and species conservation among relevant people in China and internationally. As of December 31, 2020, a total of 230 species of lizard, belonging to 44 genera and 12 families, have been recorded from China, including 4 invasive species: 2 in the family Gekkonidae, 1 in Iguanidae and one in Dactyloidae. There are 115 endemic species, accounting for 50% of this group. The proportion of endemic species to China was the highest in the family Eublepharidae (84.62%), and the number of endemic species to China was the highest in the family Agamidae (42 species). The species distributions and classification in the “Fauna Sinica (Reptilia 2): Squamata (Lacertilia)” were updated. Among the provincial administrative units, there is a larger number of species in the southern provinces, such as Yunnan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Taiwan. Sichuan, Yunnan, and Taiwan harbour relatively more endemic species than others. A total of 154 species of lizards were first discovered in China, and the type localities of these species are concentrated in Yunnan, Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, and Sichuan.

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The lacertid lizard Takydromus wolteri widely distributed in South Korea, but intraspecific diversity of this species was not almost studied. T. wolteri represented by 8 specimens collected from 5 localities were analyzed by the Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method with 28 random decamer primers and the phenogram constructed by using the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) method based on RAPD data. The populations of T. wolteri using in this paper were collected from Gyeonggi-do, Chungcheongbuk-do, Jeju-do, Jeollanam-do and Gyeongsangnam-do in South Korea. Among 68 different bands detected in RAPD analysis, 59 bands (87%) showed polymorphism. The phenogram showed that the populations of T. wolteri were grouped into two. These results suggest that T. wolteri were supported intraspecific diversity.

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This study was conducted to find the sexual size dimorphism(SSD) in morphometric characters of three species , Eremias argus, Takydromus amurensis and T. wolteri in lacertid lizard from Korea. Six external traits, snout‐vent length, tail length, head length, head width, forelimb length and hind-limb length were focused to compare two sexes among the each three lizards. Student`s t‐test was used to compare the adult SVL between the sexes for each species. For the other parts of the body, a one‐way analysis of covariance(ANCOVA) with SVL as the covariate was used. In all these species, males have longer tail and head than females like general lacertid lizard. In addition, male E. arugus have broader head and longer forelimbs and hind-limbs than conspecific females. Likewise, male T. wolteri have broader head than females. In the three lacertid lizards from Korea, snout‐vent length did not significantly differ between the sexes. To understand the causes for SSD in SVL, ecological information, such as the presence/absence of male-male combat and the correlation between the SVL of female and litter size, is required. Therefore, further ecological study on the three species of lacertid lizard from Korea will make it possible to explain the reason SSD is not found in SVL.

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The present paper attempts to elucidate the taxonomic status of five species of Takydromus (T. amurensis, T. wolteri, T. tachydromoides oldi, T. kwagakunesis and T. auroralis) reported in Korean Peninsula to date. For this purpose 114 Takydromus specimens were collected from April 2003 to october 2004 in Southern Korean peninsula and morphological characters inclusive of the presence of contact between front-nasal and fostral and the number of femoral pores have been analyzed. The analysis reveals that T. kwagakunesis and T. auroralis should be synonymized to T. amurensis. In addition, the Korean Takydromus consists of two species of T. amurensis and T. wolteri.

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Cytochrome b (cyt b) gene complete sequences (1143bp) of Takydromus sylvaticus were sequenced. In order to clarify the phylogenetic position of the Takydromus sylvaticus, we investigated the phylogeny of 15 Takydromus spp. distributed in East-Asia by Maximum Parsimony (MP), Bayesian Inference (BI), and Maximum Likelihood (ML) methods using DNA fragments of cyt b genes. The results supported that the Platyplacopus merged into Takydromus and negated the validity of Platyplacopus. Furthermore, the prediction of tertiary structures of cyt b exhibited the CD loop region contain two short helices forming a hairpin arrangement, namely cd1 and cd2. Thermostability analysis shows that the CD-loop region is unstable thermodynamically and may provide mobility to amino acids located at the heme, and might provide high flexibility to the top of ISP (iron–sulfur protein) and the cavity region of Qo binding site. It suggested that the two short helices of CD loop region of cyt b was a dominating portion for ISP binding site.

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Influence of body temperature on food assimilation and locomotor performance was studied in adult white-striped grass lizards (Takydromus wolteri) from a population in Chuzhou (Anhui, Eastern China). Food passage time dramatically decreased with increase in body temperature within the range from 26°C to 34°C, and then nearly levelled at higher body temperatures. Lizards overall gained net mass at 26°C, 28°C and 30°C and lost mass at 32°C and 34°C. Daily production of faeces (mass-specific) was affected by body temperature and, when influence of variation in the total food energy intake was removed by an ANCOVA, lizards at 26°C were found to produce faeces that contained significantly lower energy as compared with those at higher body temperatures. The total energy of urates was affected by the total food energy intake, but an ANCOVA with the total food energy intake as the covariate showed that lizards at different body temperatures did not produce urates that differed in energy. Within the temperature range considered, daily production of urates (mass-specific), apparent digestive coefficient (ADC) and assimilation efficiency (AE) were not affected by body temperature, although both ADC and AE were apparently greater in lizards at 26°C. Both locomotor stamina and sprint speed increased with increase in body temperature within the range from 18°C to 30°C, and then decreased at higher temperatures. Inter-individual differences were a significant source of variation in locomotor performance. Except for ADC and AE, all traits examined were significantly affected by body temperature, although thermal sensitivities differed considerably among traits. Within the body temperature range considered, 26°C was the most suitable body temperature for somatic tissue growth, and 30°C was an optimal body temperature for locomotor performance.

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From the publisher: Before you a unique atlas-determinant. For the first time in one edition descriptions of all species of amphibians and reptiles living on the territory of Russia are presented, illustrated with beautiful color photographs. The book is written by E.A. Dunaev and V.F. Orlova, the famous Russian herpetologists, researchers of the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University named after MV Lomonosov. Lomonosov. A simple and accessible form of presentation, detailed descriptions of the external appearance, lifestyle and behavior, photographs reflecting all variants of the variability of these animals, will help the curious reader to become more familiar with turtles, snakes, lizards, frogs and other representatives of the herpetofauna. And special keys will allow you to determine who you met on a country walk, in a city park, at a dacha or while traveling to different corners of our country. The book is of great interest not only for nature lovers, but also for specialists in herpetology and students of biological faculties of universities. It lists the amphibians and reptiles of the native fauna, reflects the latest changes in the taxonomy of these groups, lists species included in the Red Book of Russia and regional Red Books, lists reference and scientific publications on reptiles and amphibians of Russian fauna.

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Residual yolk is assumed to be an important source of energy and nutrients during early life in nonmammalian amniotes. Available data show that the mean size of residual yolk is far smaller in lizards than in turtles, snakes, crocodiles, and birds, raising a question of whether residual yolk is of functional significance in lizards. Here, we compared data from 26 lizard species with those from other nonmammalian amniotes to test the hypothesis that residual yolk is functionally less significant in species producing more fully developed offspring. In our sample, species mean offspring water contents ranged from 73% to 84% of body wet mass; species mean proportions of carcass dry mass, fat-body dry mass, and residual yolk dry mass to offspring dry mass ranged from 84% to 99%, 0% to 5.0%, and 0% to 14.4%, respectively. Lizards are, on average, more fully developed at hatching or birth than snakes, as revealed by the fact that the mean proportion of carcass dry mass to body dry mass and offspring water contents were both higher in lizards than in snakes. We conclude that the functional significance of residual yolk during early life is generally less evident in lizards. Even in the lizards where residual yolk is of potential functional significance, this portion of yolk contributes little, if any, to postembryonic growth. Future work could usefully collect data across a wider spectrum of reptile taxa to establish a precocial–altricial continuum and test the hypothesis that species with a smaller amount of residual yolk are closer to the precocial end of the continuum.

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We sequenced the mitochondrial genome of the Western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) using Illumina technology and additional Sanger sequencing. The assembled 17 086 bp mitogenome had a GC content of 40.32% and consisted of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and one control region (CR), with a gene order identical to the chordate consensus. In addition, we re-sequenced the mitogenome of the closely related Eastern green lizard L. viridis using the same techniques as for L. bilineata. The mitogenomes of L. bilineata and L. viridis showed a sequence identity of 94.4% and 99.9%, respectively, relative to the previously published L. viridis mitogenome. The phylogenetic reconstruction based on 17 Lacertinae mitogenomes using Anolis carolinensis as the outgroup supported L. bilineata and its sister species L. viridis as distinct lineages.

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To identify the biological characteristics of Wolter lizard (Takydromus wolteri), this study was conducted from March 2011 to August 2012 in the areas of Geumoreum located in Hangyeong-myeon, and Saebyeoloreum located in Aewol-eup and in the zoological laboratory in Jeju National University, South Korea. Food source, enemies, activity period, breeding period, spawning period, spawning size in a clutch, biological traits of eggs and hatching periods were investigated. As a result of the study, it was found that T. wolteri eats Gryllidae, Araneina, Orthoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera, but not Coleoptera, Formicidae, Oligochaeta. By observing the vicinities of T. wolteri habitats, it was seen that the natural enemies of T. wolteri were Elaphe dione, Amphiesma vibakari ruthveni, Sibynophis chinensis, Rhabdophis tigrinus, Gloydius ussuriensis, Corvus macrorhynchos, Streptopelia orientalis, Falco tinnunculus, Pica pica sericea, Lanius bucephalus, Hypsipetes amaurotis. Activities started in mid-March and hibernation started between late November and early December. Mating period was seen to run between May to June, breeding was May to August, and spawning was June toAugust. The average weight of spawned eggs (n = 12) was 0.3g; size was 9.5 × 7.2 mm; and the average fecundity of the clutch was 5 (with range 3~7). Incubation period was 18~20 days. The results would be useful as the necessary material for preparing conservation and management plans for T. wolteri habitats that depend on the changes in the habitat environment.

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Two new grass lizard species, previously confused with Takydromus formosanus, were identified in Taiwan using mitochondrial DNA sequences. In the present study, 40 morphological characters and their taxonomic significances were assessed using principal components analysis and discriminant analysis. The three species can be distinguished by morphology of body sizes, dorsal and caudal scales, and most importantly, by male coloration during the breeding seasons. The present study increases the total number of Takydromus to 19 species, of which 10 are insular endemics, with six only occurring in Taiwan.

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Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) has long attracted the attention of biologists, and life-history variation is thought to play an important role in the evolution of SSD. Here we quantified SSD and female reproductive traits to identify potential associations between SSD and female reproduction in the white-striped grass lizard Takydromus wolteri. In a population from Chuzhou, China, the largest male and female were 53.0 mm and 57.5 mm in snout-vent length (SVL), respectively. Females were larger in SVL and abdomen length, whereas males were larger in head size and tail length. Females produced up to five clutches of eggs during the breeding season, with large females producing more clutches and more eggs per clutch than small ones. As a result, large females had a higher annual fecundity and reproductive output. Egg size was positively correlated with maternal SVL in the first clutch, but not in subsequent clutches. These results suggest that T. wolteri is a species with female-biased SSD, and that fecundity selection, in which large females have higher fecundity due to their higher capacity for laying eggs, is likely correlated with the evolution of SSD in this species

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We performed a common garden experiment to assess the differences in life history associated with local adaptation in Takydromus wolteri. Adults from Harbin (cold) and Chuzhou (warm) populations were maintained in common conditions, and their life-history and hatchling characteristics were compared. Harbin and Chuzhou females showed the same patterns of seasonal shifts in egg size and clutch size and produced eggs of similar size, but differed in all other reproductive characteristics. Harbin females laid larger and heavier clutches later and less frequently than Chuzhou females of the same body size. Harbin eggs hatched earlier and resulted in larger hatchlings with shorter tail, forelimb and hindlimb lengths. With respect to local adaptation of life history, we summarize our findings as follows. First, cold-climate females mature later, at a larger size, by prolonging growth and delaying reproduction because of thermal constraints on the time available for activity. Second, cold-climate females produce larger clutches in shorter time periods and invest more yolk in eggs to increase annual fecundity and reproductive output. Third, cold-climate eggs hatch earlier to compensate for a reduced growing season and earlier winter. Fourth, cold-climate hatchlings have a body shape associated with reduced heat exchange and maintenance costs, as predicted by Allen’s rule.

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In order to compare the geographic variation of the morphological and reproductive characteristics between different populations of Takydromus wolteri, this study was conducted between April and August, 2011 and 2012. Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) and female reproductive output of the Takydromus wolteri population from Harbin (Heilongjiang Province) were studied with the method of field capturing and laboratory feeding. Our results showed that the Harbin population of T. wolteri was in SSD and the female was significant larger than the male in snout-vent length (SVL) (F1,62=15.337, P<0.001). The mean SVL of females was 55.86 mm while the mean SVL of males was 52.13 mm. Females had larger abdomen length (F1,61=4.937, P< 0.05) and males had larger heads (head length: F1,61=103.56, P<0.001; head width: F1,61=68.524, P<0.001) as the same SVL because larger females had a higher annual fecundity (r=0.732,F1,18=20.821,P<0.01) and reproductive output (r=0.681,F1,18=15.579, P<0.01). SSD was positively geographic variation in the T. wolteri of different population, and SVL of Harbin population in the north was obviously larger than Chuzhou population in the south in both sexes, which accorded with the Bergman’s rule.

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The ecology of most squamates from the Republic of Korea is poorly understood: information on tolerances to environmental variables, movement patterns, home range sizes, and other aspects of their natural history and ecological requirements are lacking. In turn, this lack of knowledge presents an obstacle to effective conservation management. Currently and at the national level, two of Korea’s eleven terrestrial snake species are listed as threatened or near threatened: Elaphe schrenckii and Sibynophis chinensis, and one out of the six lizard species (Eremias argus) is listed as threatened. However, various threats including habitat loss, climate change and poaching may have already but unknowingly elevated other Korean reptiles to threatened statuses. To help resource managers in developing conservation programs, we provide a summary of the literature on threats to Korean squamates, a national recommended threat status, and species accounts focused on Korean populations. We recommend listing Hebius vibakari, E. argus, Scincella huanrenensis and Gekko japonicus under a higher threat level than the one provided by either the Korean National Institute of Biological Resources or the IUCN Red List. Our results highlight that conservation plans are urgently needed for Korean squamates, mostly because of habitat destruction, and that additional research has to be conducted on most species as there is a clear need for integrated ecological studies and active monitoring programs.

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The work was conducted in Khankaiskii Nature Reserve in 2001—2006 years. It was found that Takydromus wolteri regularly occurs in the two parts of Nature Reserve: the fl oodplain of the Sungacha River (the part «Chorotovo boloto») and the floodplain of the Spassovka River (the part «Zhuravliny»). Data on new localities are presented.

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Data on the distribution of amphibians and reptiles in the Russian Far East in the reserves and national parks of federal importance are presented, as well as the information on the representation of these groups of animals in regional Red Data Books and the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation is provided.

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

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Historical relationships were inferred for the oriental lizards of the genus Takydromus Daudin 1802 (Lacertidae) on the basis of DNA sequences. Of the 17 species currently recognized for the genus, 13 species represented by 42 specimens from 29 localities were examined. Maximum-likelihood and maximum-parsimony analyses of data for 829 aligned sites from parts of the mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes yielded relationships that, while showing no substantial discrepancy with each other, were strikingly different from a currently prevailing phylogenetic hypothesis from a parsimony analysis of morphological characters. Based on the results of these molecular analyses, supplemented by results of the morphological analysis that offered robust evidence for positions of two additional species (T. khasiensis and T. sylvaticus), the following interrelationships were hypothesized as the most preferred phylogeny: (kuehnei (sexlineatus khasiensis))(tachydromoides ((smaragdinus (sauteri (dorsalis sylvaticus))) (amurensis (((formosanus wolteri) hsuehshanensis)(toyamai (septentrionalis stejnegeri)))))). These interrelationships indicate: (1) invalidity of Platyplacopus Boulenger 1917, which was recently resurrected as a subgenus of Takydromus on the basis of the morphological analysis; (2) homoplasy in states of some morphological characters, such as green dorsal coloration, that were considered as synapomorphs of certain nodes in the morphological analysis; and (3) involvement of the genus in a series of vicariances in both the continental and insular parts of eastern Eurasia. Due to the paucity of available samples, phylogenetic status of T. intermedius and T. haughtonianus remain to be examined in future studies.

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We incubated eggs of Takydromus wolteri at four costant temperature to assess influence of incubation temperature on size, morphology, and locomotor performance of hatchlings. All viable eggs incubated in mass over the course of incubation due to absorption of water from surroundings, the mass gain was dependent on initial egg mass and incubation temperature. The duration of incubation at 24, 27, 30, and 33℃ averaged 41.9, 30.6, 25.8, and 22.6d, respectively. Incubation temperature significantly affected hatching success and body wet mass, carcass dry mass, and residual yolk dry mass of hatchlings, but it did not affect sex ratio, total dry mass, snout-vent length, and tail length of hatchlings. Compared to those from 33℃, hatchlings from 24℃ and 27℃ were greater in wet body mass and carcass dry mass, with a smaller quantity of yolk remaining unutilized at hatching. Incubation temperature affected some norphological traits of hatchlings, with hatchlings from 24℃ and 27℃ having larger size-free head length and width than did those from 33℃, and hatchlings from 24℃ generally had smaller size-free tympanum diameter than did those from higher temperatures.

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The paper discusses biotopical and altitudinal distribution of Takydromus amurensis Peters, 1881 and Takydromus wolteri Fischer, 1885 inhabiting the north-eastern Asia. These species demonstrate in this area the changes of biotopical preference. T. amurensis prefers to occupy the forest zone less actively than in the southern part of range, 46 vs. 91%, respectively. T. wolteri avoids open spaces and partially enters the forest zone (7%). Both T. amurensis and T. wolteri actively inhabit the light forest zone (15 and 17%, respectively) and anthropogenic region (39 and 76%, respectively), the zone being optimal for their inhabitancy. In the southern part of natural habitat (Republic of Korea), the light forest zone plays an important role in their biotopical distribution (9% T. amurensis and 36% T. wolteri), though it is less preferred when compared to north-eastern part of the range. Two sites in the forest zone with weakly anthropogenic disruption (one in Russia and the other in Republic of Korea) were revealed, where species symbiotopy was observed. In both cases, T. wolteri was a predominant species. For the first time the altitudinal distribution data for lizards of genus Takydromus has been presented, in particular, for Russia. T. amurensis was found in the range of 11 – 633 m a.s.l. and T. wolteri — 14 – 321 m a.s.l. Maximal amplitude of altitudinal distribution of studied species has been indicated for the light forest zone. On the territory of Korea, T. wolteri has been found to have wider range of vertical distribution 4 – 424 m a.s.l.

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The karyotypes of Takydromus amurensis and T. wolteri from Heilongjiang Province were examined using medulla cells and the colchicine-hypotonic air-dry technique. The results showed that the number of diploid chromosomes in the two species was 38 and were composed of 18 pairs of euchromosomes and a pair of sex chromosome, including 17 pairs of telocentric chromosomes and a pair of spot chromosomes. The sex chromosome was of the type ZW. According to karyotypic characteristics, they are all primitive species within Lacertiformes.

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Although lizards are important hosts for hard ticks (Ixodidae), very few studies have been conducted in South Korea. To determine whether or not hard ticks can infest lizards endemic to South Korea, we examined 77 lizards of four species (Eremias argus, Sincella vandenburghi, Takydromus amurensis, and Takydromus wolteri) that were collected at 22 different sites between April and October 2010. We confirmed that all four lizard species can be infested by Ixodes nipponensis larvae or nymphs. Of the 62 E. argus examined, we found an average of 12.5 larvae on two lizards and an average of one nymph on one lizard. We found seven nymphs on one S. vandenburghi. We found an average of two nymphs on two of the five T. amurensis and an average of one nymph on four of the nine T. wolteri. Ixodes nipponensis larvae and nymphs were found most frequently on the foreleg axillae (87.8%), followed by the forelegs (7.3%), the eyelids (2.4%), and the ears (2.4%) of the lizards. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of I. nipponensis infestations of lizards endemic to South Korea.

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In order to characterize the current status and distribution of reptiles currently inhabiting the Republic of Korea, the results of survey data were analyzed in this study. The results of this analysis showed that the reptiles were distributed into two orders, seven families, and 21 species, with the exception of six marine reptiles, including Dermochelys coriacea schlegelii, Chelonia mydas japonica, Caretta caretta, Hydrophis melanocephalus, Hydrophis cyanocinctus, and Pelamis platrrus. Also, the taxonomic revisions of several species were suggested, although this would be ill-advised before further studies can be conducted regarding the current status of marine reptiles in the region.

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A survey of reptile-associated ticks and their infection status with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus was conducted to determine the relative abundance and distribution among lizards, skinks, and snakes in the Republic of Korea (ROK). In total, 132 reptiles, including 49 lizards (two species), 15 skinks (one species), and 68 snakes (eight species) were collected. In total, 84 ixodid ticks belonging to two genera (Ixodes and Amblyomma) were collected from 28/132 (21.2%) lizards, skinks, and snakes. Ixodes nipponensis Kitaoka & Saito was only collected from lizards and skinks, while Amblyomma testudinarium Koch was only collected from snakes. Takydromus wolteri had the highest tick index (0.7; total number ticks/total number collected hosts) among lizards and skinks, while Rhabdophis tigrinus had the highest tick index (2.2) among the snakes. Ixodes nipponensis larvae and nymphs accounted for 11.1% and 88.9%, respectively, of all ticks collected from lizards and skinks, while only A. testudinarium nymphs were collected from snakes. Nymphs of both species of ticks were collected from lizards and skinks from April to October, while I. nipponensis larvae were collected only from September to October. Ixodes nipponensis larvae and nymphs were preferentially attached to the lateral trunk (83.3%) and the foreleg axillae (16.7%) of lizards and skinks. SFTS virus was detected in both I. nipponensis and A. testudinarium collected from lizards and snakes. Phylogenetic analysis of SFTS viruses of ticks collected from two lizards and one snake demonstrated close relationships with SFTS virus strains observed from humans and ticks in the ROK, China, and Japan. These results implicate lizards and snakes as potential hosts of SFTS virus.

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Patterns in functional diversity of organisms at large spatial scales can provide insight into possible responses to future climate change, but it remains a challenge to link large-scale patterns at the population or species level to their underlying physiological mechanisms at the individual level. The climate variability hypothesis predicts that temperate ectotherms will be less vulnerable to climate warming than tropical ectotherms, due to their superior acclimatization capacity. However, metabolic acclimatization occurs over multiple levels, from the enzyme and cellular level, through organ systems, to whole-organism metabolic rate (hereafter biological hierarchy). Previous studies have focused on one or a few levels of the biological hierarchy, leaving us without a general understanding of how metabolic acclimatization might differ between tropical and temperate species. Here, we investigate thermal acclimation of three species of Takydromus lizards distributed along a broad latitudinal gradient in China, by studying metabolic modifications at the level of the whole organism, organ, mitochondria, metabolome, and proteome. As predicted by the climate variability hypothesis, the two temperate species T. septentrionalis and T. wolteri had an enhanced acclimation response at the whole organism level compared to the tropical species T. sexlineatus, as measured by respiratory gas exchange rates. However, the mechanisms by which whole organism performance was modified was strikingly different in the two temperate species: widespread T. septentrionalis modified organ sizes, while the narrowly distributed T. wolteri relied on mitochondrial, proteomic and metabolomic regulation. We suggest that these two mechanisms of thermal acclimatization may represent general strategies used by ectotherms, with distinct ecological costs and benefits. Lacking either of these mechanisms of thermal acclimatization capacity, the tropical species is likely to have increased vulnerability to climate change.

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Life history traits may vary within and among species. Rarely, however, are both variations examined concurrently to identify the life history adaptation. We found that female body size, offspring number and size, and incubation period showed convergent evolution in two lacertid lizards (Takydromus wolteri and Eremias argus) that occur sympatrically in high-latitude and low-latitude localities. Females from the high-latitude population were larger and produced larger clutches than those from the low-latitude population. In both species, the incubation period was shorter for the high-latitude population than for the low-latitude population. However, the physiological mechanism underlying the shorter incubation period differed between the species. These results suggest that: (1) sympatric lizards may adopt similar reproductive strategies in response to their common environments, and (2) embryonic development of the two species follows different pathways for adaptation to low temperatures. This study highlights the importance of understanding the adaptive evolution of life history in response to environmental changes at the embryonic life stages.

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Influences of thermal and hydric environments on incubation eggs, embryonic use of energy and hatchling phenotypes were studied in the white-striped grass lizard Takydromus wolteri, which were collected at Langyashan Mountain, Chuzhou, Anhui, Eastern China. The eggs were incubated at three constant (27, 30, and 33℃) and one fluctuating temperatures on substrates with water potentials of 0 and –220kPa using a 4×2 factorial design. Eggs were incubated in plastic containers that were covered with a perforated plastic membrane. Eggs were 1/3-buried in the substrate, with the surface near the embryo exposed to air inside the container. We weighed containers daily and, if necessary, water were added to the vermiculite to compensate for small evaporative losses and absorbed by eggs. Eggs were weighed at 5-day intervals. Upon emergence, each hatchling was measured, weighed, examined for locomotor performance , and then killed by freezing to -15℃ for later studies. Each hatchling was separated into carcass, fat bodies, and residual yolk. The three components were dried in an oven at 65℃ to constant mass, and then weighed. We extracted non-polar lipids from dried samples in a Soxhlet apparatus for a minimum of 5.5 h using absolute ether as solvent. We determined energy density of dried samples using an adiabatic bomb calorimeter. We determined ash content in each sample using a muffle furnace at 700 1C for a minimum of 12 h and weighing the remaining ash. All viable eggs increased in mass over the course of incubation due to absorption of water, and mass gain during incubation was dependent on initial egg mass and substrate water potential. There were no differences of the incubation length, hatching success, sex ratio, and hatchlings size in the two examined substrate moisture. Incubation length decreased as incubation temperature increased. The average duration of incubation at 27, 30, and 33℃ was 32.5, 24.9, and 23.0d, respectively; the duration of incubation at fluctuating temperatures average 31.1d. Incubation temperature did not influence hatching success and sex ratio of hatchlings, but profoundly affected embryonic use of nutrients, hatchlings size and hatchlings body mass, and carcass mass. Eggs at 33℃ produced hatchlings with less developed carcass, greater amount of unutilized yolk and worse sprint speed. 27℃ and fluctuating temperature treatments produced well-developed hatchlings, and the measured phenotype traits were nearly the same. Taken together, our results showed that 27–30℃ and fluctuating temperature are suit for egg incubation in T. wolteri

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We incubated Takydromus wolteri eggs at 30℃ using wet vermiculite as the incubation substrate of which the moisture was kept at -12kPa, we paid particular attention to the embryonic growth and embryonic use of material and energy during incubation. Eggs were weighed at 5-day intervals to test for temporal changes in egg mass. From the tenth, fifteenth, twentieth day of incubation, we randomly selected 15,15,12 eggs from different clutches respectively, opened and separated them into shell, embryo and yolk. The three egg components were oven dried to constant mass at 65℃, weighed and preserved frozen for later determination of composition. Upon emergence, size and mass were measured on each hatchling. Hatchlings (n= 29) were then killed by freezing to -15℃ for later study. Upon thawing, we separated each hatchling into weighed and preserved frozen for later determination of composition. We extracted non-polar lipids from dried carcass, residual yolk and fat bodies. The three hatchling components were oven dried to constant mass at 65℃,samples in a Soxhlet apparatus for a minimum of 5.5 h using absolute ether as solvent. The amount of lipids in a sample was determined by subtracting the lipid-free dry mass from the total sample dry mass. The total lipid in each hatchling was calculated as the sum of the lipids in its carcass, residual yolk and fat bodies. We determined energy content of dried samples using an adiabatic bomb calorimeter and ash content in each sample using a muffle furnace at 700℃ for a minimum of 8 h and then weighing the remaining ash. The duration of incubation averaged 24.7 days in this study. Eggs increased in wet mass during incubation due to the absorption of water from the substrate. At the stage of 0-15, 15-20, 20-24.7 days of incubation, the developing embryos mobilized approximately 11%, 14% and 75% of the total egg energy in the yolk of the freshly laid egg, respectively. Embryos grew slowly during the first 20 days, the maximal embryonic growth occurred at the stage of 20-24.7 days of incubation. During incubation, approximately 50.3%dry material, 24.9%non-polar lipids and 51.9%energy in egg contents of the freshly laid egg were transferred to the hatchling. Of all energy in the newly emerged hatchling, 95.2%was in the carcass, 2.2%in fat bodies and 2.6 %in the residual yolk. Embryos used both yolk and eggshell as the sources of inorganic material for development. Our data show that the lower conversion efficiencies of energy and material from egg to hatchling in T. wolteri can be mainly attributed to their greater energetic costs of embryonic development and lower residual yolk sizes.

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The mitochondrial genome of Takydromus wolteri (Squamata: Lacertidae) is a circular molecule of 18,236 bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs, and a control region. The A+T content of the overall base composition of H-strand is 62% (T: 30.7%, C: 24.5%, A: 31.3%, G: 13.5%). All of the 13 protein-coding genes begin with ATG as start codon. ND1, ATP8, ATP6, ND3, ND4L, ND5, and Cyt b genes are terminated with TAA as stop codon, COI ends with AGG, ND2 ends with TAG, ND6 ends with AGA, and the other four protein-coding genes end with an incomplete stop codon (a single stop nucleotide T). Three distinct repeat regions are found in 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and the control region.

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This report deals with diversity research within the Vietnam project of the Cologne Zoo on his way towards a centre for nature conservation. Since more than five years the Cologne Zoo engages in a German-Vietnamese cooperation project concerning biodiversity research and conservation in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in central Vietnam. This karst forest area in the Quang Binh province, which meanwhile is declared by the UNESCO as world heritage site, comprises more than 85,000 ha and represents habitat and refuge of many threatened and in part still undiscovered species. My report comprises the current knowledge about the amphibians and reptiles of this area. The so-called herpetofauna appears, due to its limited tendency to spread, the relatively high habitat requirements, and the relatively simple recording (without using traps), as suitable bioindicator. In addition, herpetodiversity research is not only required in Vietnam because being a hot spot (i. e., endemism centre) of biodiversity, but also due to the fact, that we are only able to protect those species which are known so far. In this context, the special significance of newly discovered species as role models for a nature reserve (i. e., so-called flagship species) is stressed: As ambassadors of their relatives they do not only plead for the conservation status of an area, but also motivate the local people to engage in the conservation of their unique home; finally, newly discovered species help to be effective as publicity and to attract support by sponsors, too. Beside newly discovered mammal species some recent reptile discoveries from the National Park’s karst forest are highlighted: Among them is the Phong Nha-Ke Bang Bent-toed Gecko (Cyrtodactylus phongnhakebangensis) that was named after its type locality, as well as another, greyish gecko species (Gekko sp. n.), that will be described as new species soon. However, the area’s most spectacular herpetological discoveries were two horned pitvipers: One of them (Triceratolepidophis sieversorum) was originally discovered as preserved specimen in the rice wine collection of a local healer and revealed not only to be a new species but also to represent a new snake genus; the other horned pitviper (Protobothrops cornutus) has already been regarded by some scientists as being extinct and therefore could be rediscovered in Vietnam after more than half a century (which was at the same time the first record for the National Park’s herpetofauna). Thus, both geckonid as well as both horned pitviper discoveries represent prominent advocates of the habitat karst forest in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, with whom their existence is closely connected. After these examples, the remaining members of the herpetofauna are briefly introduced in words and pictures: Currently seven families of frogs (represented by almost 40 species), four families of turtles (more than ten species), five lizard families (more than 30 species) and six families of snakes (almost 50 species) are known. Because several problems concerning determination and taxonomy remain still unsolved and because new species are constantly discovered and described, it is difficult to name concrete species numbers. However, with respect to its herpetodiversity, the Phong Nha- Ke Bang National Park meanwhile surely belongs to Vietnam’s best researched nature reserves. Almost 20% of its amphibian and reptile species are listed in the Red Data List of Vietnam. In future, we will engage in proceeding our diversity studies in close cooperation with our Vietnamese partners to provide the National Park as well as the local authorities the knowledge and the required tools for a long-term conservation of the region’s unique biodiversity.

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Takydromus (Platyplacopus) kuehnei vietnamensis ssp. n., a new subspecies of grass lizard from Vietnam (Reptilia: Squamata: Lacertidae). Vietnamese Takydromus (Platyplacopus) kuehnei, recently recorded for the first time from this country, are described as a new subspecies. So far, the species was known only from China. The description is based on differences in colour pattern and scalation. In pholidosis T. (P.) kuehnei vietnamensis ssp. n. differs·from the Chinese nominal form mainly by usually having occipital and interparietal not in contact, the gulars reaching only the third pair of chinshields, the dorsal head shields stronger keeled, and, especially in females, distinctly enlarged scales on the lower flanks, as weil as higher numbers of supratemporals, supraciliary granules, and scales between tympanicum and supratemporals. Concerning colour pattern the males of the new subspecies are characterized by having only feebly marked, shorter, and more slender light lateral dorsal stripes, which are not distinctly framed medially by dark pattern; in the females the darker upper flanks are more distinctly set off against the lighter lower flanks. More material has to show whether the holotype of Platyplacopus kuehnei carinatus GRESS1TT, 1938 from Hainan, which shows an unusual pholidosis, is in fact synonymous with the nominal form. We demonstrate that some of the Vietnamese records of T. wolteri are based on misidentified T. kuehnei and also on T. sexlineatus, so that the occurrence of the otherwise strictly Palearctic T. wolteri in northern Vietnam must be seriously doubted. To prevent further confusion in view of some unclear identification keys available for Vietnam`s lizards. we proYide a short diagnosis of T. kuehnei and T. wolteri. Finally, the distributional and ecological data currently available for T. kuehnei are summa- rized.