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Lacerta monticola bonnali Lantz, 1927, that inhabits central Pyrenees from 1.800 m to ca. 3.000 m a.s.l. in alpine and subalpine environments, should be considered hereinafter as a full species: L. bonnali stat. nov. due to strong differences in pholidosis, design and coloration, as well as ecological (types of rocks among it lives) and biological features (egg incubation time) that distinguish it both from L. monticola Boulenger, 1905 and L. horvathi Mehely, 1904, their closest geographic relatives, as well as from other Archeolacerta from Europe and Near East.

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Based on the study of geographic variability (pholidosis and biometry) of the Pyrenean endemite Lac bonnali LANTZ, 1927, a new subspecies of this lizard is described from Vali d`Aràn and Pallars.

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We give an historical review of the discovery and knowledge of A. bonnali in the Pyrenees and Catalonia. The up till now known locatities, habitat and specimens morphology are included.

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The geographic limits of the three high mountain pyrenean lizards (Archaeolacerta bonnali, A. aranica and A. aurelioi) are relatively congruent with the biogeographic sectorizations proposed up till now, although don’t fit well with the hierarchy of these subdivisions. The differentiation degree among conspecific populations is significatively correlated with their separation distances. Our sectorization from the Alpine belt developed in basis to the alpine carabofauna is the first model specifically proposed for these biota. It clusters the alpine massifs in four groups: a) Occidental Pyrenees; b) Central Pyrenees (with a central portion s. str., an aranese portion, and a preoriental portion); and c) Eastern Pyrenees.

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Iberolacerta bonnali is endemic from the Central Pyrenees, where inhabits from the Arriel Massif in the west, to the Aigüestortes mountains in the east. His range is characterized by the greater size of the mountain massifs which inhabits, and by to present granitic (igneous) rock substrates. By other side, his localities are also characterized by lesser insolations and sun radiations, as corresponds to the pyrenaean parts with greater atlantic influence. I. aranica is endemic from the Mauberme Massif and its spurs. His area appears characterized by greater snow accumulations both in winter and spring. I. aurelioi is endemic from the Montroig, Pica d`Estats and Coma Pedrosa massifs. His area is characterized by the greater insolations and sun radiations, and by the presence of lesser alpine belt surface and absolute heights of the inhabited massifs. Also, he inhabits only paleozoic rocks (mainly cambroordovician quarzites). In respect to other species present in the alpine belt: Lacerta agilis appears in localities characterized by high insolation and sun radiations in respect to other pyrenaean lizards. Zootoca vivipara do not present specific traits as lives in all the pyrenaean range and frequently sympatrically with all the other species here studied. Podarcis muralis appears in the comparatively more outer parts, with greater insolations, from the Pyrenees.

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Iberolacerta bonnali (LANTZ, 1927), ein Endemit der axialen Zentralpyrenäen, bewohnt die Gebirgsstöcke Arriel, Balaitous, Vignemale (oder Comachibosa), Panticosa, Monte Perdido, Punta Suelza,Posets, Maladeta, Ballibierna und die Gebirge des Sant Maurici-Aigüestortes Nationalparks (Besiberris, Muntanyó de Llacs, Peguera und Encantats) samt einer kleinen nördlichen Exklave in den Massiven von Neouvielle und Bigorre. Das Artareal umfaßt das Gebiet zwischen den Pässen von Portalé (im Westen) und Bonaigua (im Osten). Die Eidechse lebt in der alpinen Region, gewöhnlich in Höhen oberhalb 2000 m (zwischen 1700 m und 3062 m) und kommt dort in kleinen bis mittelgroßen, gewöhnlich eng begrenzten Populationen auf unterschiedlichem Gestein (Kalk, Schiefer, seltener und weniger dicht auf Gneis und Granit) und häufig in der Nähe von Seen und Bächen vor. Die Stichproben von Posets und Maladeta erscheinen als morphologisch zentral bzw. intermediär. An sie lassen sich die übrigen Stichproben aus verschiedenen Richtungen anschließen. Unter den gut repräsentierten Stichproben scheinen die von Bigorre und Ballibierna denen von Maladeta, Monte Perdido und Posets am nächsten zu stehen. Unter den weniger gut vertretenen Samples nähern sich die von Neouvielle und Arriel an Bigorre an. Punta Suelza Exemplare sind intermediär und nahezu nicht von M. Perdido und Posets Tieren unterscheidbar. Die Stichproben Maladeta, Besibierri, Aigüestortes and Ballibierna sind alle gleichermaßen gegenüber den intermediären Populationen differenziert. Insgesamt entsteht der Eindruck, daß die U-förmige Gebirgsformation von Posets, Maladeta und Ballibierna von einer Gruppe „zentraler Populationen“ bewohnt ist, von denen sich drei Stichproben morphologisch am stärksten abheben: Bigorre im Norden, M. Perdido westlich und Aigüestortes im Osten. Dieses Modell positioniert einen möglichen Refugialstandort der Art im Würm auf die Südhänge jenes U-förmigen Gebirgskomplexes, doch bleibt die Möglichkeit anderer kleiner Refugialräume, etwas im Gebiet von Aigüestortes. Das Szenario der Ausbreitung aus diesen Refugialräumen am Ende der letzten Vereisung wird dargestellt, eine das Gesamtmaterial einbeziehende vollständige Diagnose von I. bonnali wird gegeben.

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The study techniques permit us to check, from a morphological point of view, the existence of three well differentiated species in the Pyrenees: Iberolacerta aranica (Arribas, 1993), Iberolacerta aurelioi (Arribas, 1994) and Iberolacerta bonnali (Lantz 1927). ANOVA detects differences which accumulate aiming populations of different species. Characters with greater discriminative power among taxa are dorsalia, gularia, ventralia and the relative diameter of the tympanic scale. In the canonical analysis, first axis separates central-eastern pyrenaean populations (I. aurelioi) in respect to central pyrenaean ones (I. bonnali and I. aranica). Second axis separates central pyrenaean populations living in a small isolate at the northeast to the Garona river (I. aranica) from the western ones living in the main part of the pyrenean range (I. bonnali). I. aurelioi is characterized by high values ol ventral pattern, gularia, dorsalia and ventralia; and Iow values of masseteric and tympanic diameters, (temporal areas covered only by small tiny scales are not uncommon), generalyzed absence of contact among postocular and parietal scales and a lower number of circumanals and femoral pores. This species can be distinguished unequivocally also by his yellow belly, which is absent in the other pyrenaean species. I. aranica is characterized by greater diameters of the masseteric plate, relatively well developed ventral pattern. low values of dorsalia. ventralia, circumanalia and relatively short fore and hindlimbs. Usually shows a very characteristic scale disposition in temporal area, with three great scales (masseteric. tympanic and a great wedge-shaped intermediate scale). I. bonnali has intermediate pholidotic values among I. aurelioi and I. aranica. The three species show a good discrimination degree among them (superior to 75 %). The best discrimination is for I. aurelioi from which specimens rarely are mistaken with the other two species. Between I. aranica and I. bonnali there is a more imprecise discrimination, although ever superior to 75 % and more marked in males. In respect to the intraespecific variability among species from which more than one massif has been studied. I. aurelioi is the one which shows samples with the best discrimination degree among it (correct classification percentages from 71.42 to 91.6 %). In I. bonnali intracspecific discrimination is lower. Only the males from Bigorre reach the 75 % of correct classification, which suggests that this species is relatively uniform.

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Iberolacerta bonnali (LANTZ, 1927 war von 07.00 bis etwa 16.00 Uhr GMT aktiv (gewöhnlich zwischen 09.00 und 11.00 Uhr), unabhängig von Geschlecht oder Alter. Die Orographie und das jeweils herrschende Wetter schränkten die nachmittägliche Aktivität der Eidechse ein. Im Laufe des Sommers und mit abnehmender Tageslänge verschob sich der Aktivitätsgipfel zunehmend in Richtung späterer Tagesstunden. In Kalksteingebieten begann und endete die Tagesaktivität früher als in Schiefergebieten, doch unterstützte in letzteren das tigmothermische Verhalten der Eidechsen wahrscheinlich den Prozeß des Aufwärmens. Die Hangneigung war nicht mit der Nutzungshäufigkeit durch I. bonnali korreliert. Die häufigsten und meist genutzten Mikrohabitate waren felsige oder grasbestandene Stellen. Die Eidechsen glichen Abweichungen von der mittleren Häufigkeit dieser Strukturen in allen drei Substrattypen (Kalk, Schiefer, Grandiorit/Granit) durch Bevorzugung oder Vermeidung der verfügbaren Mikrohabitate aus. In Schiefergebieten war Fels weniger häufig und wurde positiv selektioniert, während lose Gesteinbrocken relativ häufig waren und weniger angenommen wurden. Im Kalkgestein fehlte die Buschvegetation und die häufigsten Mikrohabitate, Fels und Gras, wurden etwas weniger angenommen, während umherliegende Steine selten auftraten und vermehrt als Aufenthaltsort gewählt wurden. Auf Grandiorit/Granit-Substrat wurden Grasstandorte weniger angenommen als Fels und loses Gestein. Die Körpertemperaturen aktiver Eidechsen reichten von 20.8°C bis 35.2°C (Mittel 28.96°C ± 0.24°C) und waren etwas stärker mit der Substrattemperatur (r = 0.37) als mit der Temperatur der Umgebungsluft korreliert (r = 0.33). Signifikante Unterschiede zwischen den Geschlechtern oder Altersgruppen oder im Hinblick auf unterschiedliche Substrattypen waren nicht feststellbar. Iberolacerta bonnali waren effektive Thermoregulatoren (die Anstiege der Regressionsgeraden von 0.14 bzw. 0.21 der Körpertemperatur in bezug zu Substrat- bzw. Lufttempetratur waren stark von I verschieden), aber nicht sehr präzise bei der Einstellung ihrer Körpertemperaturen (geringe Korrelationen) und damit eher Thermokonformisten (in einem breiten Temperaturspektrum aktiv), wie auch andere Iberolacerta-Arten.

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Der Autor legt eine vergleichende Untersuchung über Aktivität, Mikrohabitatwahl (Hangneigung, Flächenanteil von Fels, Steinen, nacktem Boden, Gebüsch und krautiger Vegetation im Lebensraum) und temperaturabhängiges Verhalten von Iberolacerta aranica (ARRIBAS, 1993), I. aurelioi (ARRIBAS; 1994) und I. bonnali (LANTZ, 1927) vor und beschreibt die Unterschiede in den untersuchten Größen im Hinblick auf Art, Geschlecht und Alter der Eidechsen. Im Aktivitätsmuster finden sich keine Unterschiede zwischen den Arten, doch differierten sie in mehreren Faktoren der Habitatausstattung ihres Aufenthaltsortes signifikant. Iberolacerta aurelioi wurde in steilerem Gelände als I. bonnali besonders aber als I. aranica festgestellt, doch waren die Unterschiede in der Hangneigung nich signifikant. Iberolacerta aurelioi und I. bonnali bevorzugten felsige Substrate und vermieden steinige Stellen (beide Geschlechter, alle Altersklassen) und nackte Böden (nur I. aurelioi). Iberolacerta aranica bevorzugte weniger felsigen als eher steinigen un d unbewachsenen Bodengrund. Büsche waren im Habitat von I. bonnali häufiger als in jenem von I. aurelioi und I. aranica. Krautige Pflanzen (Ganz allgemein alle Formen von Vegetation) fanden sich häufiger im Lebensraum von I. bonnali als an Stellen, wo I. aurelioi oder I. aranica vorkamen. Die drei Arten unterschieden sich voneinander in der Körpertemperatur (BT) und erwiesen sich als gute aber nicht sehr präzise Thermoregulatoren (besonders gegenüber den Subastrattemperaturen) sowie mäßige Thermokonformisten. Die Körpertemperatur war bei Iberolacerta aurelioi niedriger als bei I. bonnali (p < 0.05) und besonders I. aranica (p < 0.01). Die mittlere Körpertemperatur betrug bei I. bonnali 29.20 ± 0.30°C (22.8 – 35.2°C; n = 64), bei I. aranica 29.49 ± 0.20°C (22 – 36.5°C; n = 143) und bei I. aurelioi 28.13 ± 0.32°C (16.6 – 34.4°C; n = 109). Die Erwärmung schien bei I. aurelioi und I. bonnali hauptsächlich heliothermisch, bei I. aranica tigmothermisch zu erfolgen.

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Tail regeneration in 706 Iberolacerta (Pyrenesaura): 300 I. bonnali, 212 I. aranica and 194 I. aurelioi was studied, distinguishing four situations: 0) intact tail; 1) distal part (point) of the tail regenerated; 2) Tail regenerated from its half part and 3) tail broken and regenerated from its basis. The incidence of autotomy (tail break) in Iberolacerta (Pyrenesaura) runs in adults from a 47.5% up to a 68.3%. In juveniles is sensibly lower and goes from 10.9% to 23.8%.In I. bonnali percentage of autotomized tails is almost identical in both sexes (48% in males and 47.5% in females), whereas in juveniles is only 22.4%, without differences between adults but yes between adults and juveniles. In I. aranica, percentage of autotomized tails is 68.3% in males (fairly high), a 55.3% in females and a 10.9% in immatures. There are not significant differences between males and females (despite to be near to significance) but exist between adults and juveniles. In I. aurelioi males have a break percentage of 54.4%, females 59.8% and juveniles 23.8%, without differences between males and females, and contrary to the other two Pyrenean species, also inexistent between adults and juveniles. Comparing the three species among them, only males differ (the difference arises between I. bonnali and I. aranica), and all the other comparisons among females and juveniles are not significant. Juveniles of I. aurelioi (only any population of I. aranica or rarely and few vivid in I. bonnali) present bluish of greenish tails that do not broke until some days after birth and are able to wave sinuously in order to attract the predators attention upon it. Also, the known and possible predators are reviewed.

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The hemipenis of all the Iberolacerta species is studied. Overall morphology is very similar among the different species. Hemipenes are symmetrically bilobed, with the apical section shorter than the basal one (I. galani, I. cyreni, I. monticola monticola, I. horvathi, I. bonnali, I. aranica and I. aurelioi) or subequal or with slightly inverted proportions (I. m. astur and I. martinezricai). All are similarly sized and proportional to the animal’s SVL, except in I. aurelioi (and perhaps to a lesser extent in I. horvathi) that have notably small hemipenes. Concerning the hemipenial microornamentation, all the Iberolacerta s. str. (I. monticola, I. galani, I. martinezricai, I. cyreni and I. horvathi) have hemipenial microornamen-tation of crown-shaped tubercles, more or less elongated with a series or a crown of small spinules in their apex. Among these, isolate odd shaped tubercles can appear, probably corresponding to immature states that do not reach their complete development. The Pyrenean species (subgenus Pyrenesaura) are variable. Iberolacerta bonnali and I. aranica have mainly spiny-like tubercles (among which some crown shaped can appear), whereas I. aurelioi presents crown-shaped microornamentation (with scattered spiny-like, as occur in other Iberolacerta species). Our hypothesis is that crown shaped models are derived (or more mature, following an ontogenetic criterion) in respect to the spiniform ones, but some spiny (or finger-shaped) can be secondary reversals by incomplete maturation. These secondary derived and the original primitive spiny-shaped ones are very difficult if not impossible to distinguish. Phenomena as the heterochronies could be beneath these reversals in maturation.

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The microornamentation of the scales (oberhautchen) has been studied by means of enamel casts (in negative), or with detached skin pieces (positive cast in the upper face or negative in their lower face of the scales) and its observation by transparency with optical microscopy at 40x, 400x and 1000x. In this study we have found a remarkable uniformity in all genera of Lacertini studied (already known, although significantly expanding the number of species previously studied). In light of the results obtained, it seems that the use of the microornamentation of the scales in taxonomy is limited. There is a remarkable degree of variation and probably of homoplasy, as it happens in so many characters of Lacertini. Nor is it clearly linked to certain conditions of the environment, although it may have a certain importance in mechanisms such as evapotranspiration and perhaps in the crypsis through its influence on the reflectance of the scales. These scales can present protuberances (like small tubercles) on their surface (derived character) in Algyroides (the four species), and in the case of Algyroides marchi also seems to present small pits on its scale surface. In most lacertids the cells of the “oberhautchen” are usually narrow (or short anteroposteriorly, if preferred), between 1 and 4 μm, having the appearance of ribbons or transverse straps. Smaller sizes (derivated) appear more or less marked in Algyroides spp, Darevskia praticola complex, Parvilacerta spp and in Dinarolacerta mosorensis (although not in D. montenegrina) and is difficult to interpret. Except in Dinarolacerta, in the other species it coincides that they are ground or ground-rock interface species, and the coarser stripes could have to do with reflectance (imitating the vegetation or the medium between which they move, according to the hypothesis of Allam et al.). In the case of Dinarolacerta, very saxicolous, it is probably the sister group of Algyroides and the common morphology could have a phylogenetic origin linked to its relationship with Algyroides. There is also no relationship with moisture since some come from dry places and others are from very wet areas. The posterior flange of the cells may be slightly mounted in the next cell (primitive character) but appears quite raised (derived character) in Algyroides nigropunctatus (much less in A. moreoticus and A. marchi, and apparently little or nothing in A. fitzingeri). The rear flange of the cells can be smooth, corrugated or notched. In our samples, irregular (and even dentate) posterior ridges appear in numerous Darevskia such as D. derjugini, D. parvula, D. raddei complex [D. raddei raddei, D. r. vanensis and D. nairensis], in part of the group of D. rudis [D. rudis sspp. and D. bithynica sspp.], several Iberolacerta (I. bonnali, I. horvathi and I. monticola astur), as well as in Teira dugesii. The character appears, although less marked in Algyroides (more in A. moreoticus, but less marked or barely visible in the others), in Hellenolacerta graeca, and other Iberolacerta (I. aurelioi, I. martinezricai, and scarcely marked in I. cyreni). Very little marked in Darevskia mixta, somewhat more in D. dryada and none in D. clarkorum, and also appears in the group of D. saxicola (D. saxicola, D. brauneri brauneri, D. b. darevskii, D. lindholdmi, D. szczerbaki), Dalmatolacerta oxycephala, Dinarolacerta mosorensis (only in the Biokovo sample, and not in Durmitor or D. montenegrina), Apathya cappadocica, in some places of the scales of Parvilacerta fraasii (but not in P. parva) and very little in D. (p) hungarica; also in the remaining group of D. rudis (D. valentini valentini, D. v. lantzicyreni, D. rudis bolkardaghica, D. portschinskii), and some parthenogenetic species (D. armeniaca, D. dahli, D. rostombekowi) but not in D. unisexualis, D. uzzelli, D. sapphirina, D. bendimahiensis or in the triploid hybrid between D. unisexualis and D. nairensis. In these parthenogenetic species it seems a general rule that the character of the crenulation or irregularity of the posterior flange of the cells resembles that of the paternal rather than the maternal species. The exception is the triploid hybrid [arisen from the hybridization of D. unisexualis (parthenogenetic female, without the character) and a male of D. nairensis (with fairly developed character)] that lacks character, and in this case is more similar to the maternal species of which has two genetic sets compared to only one of the paternal one.

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The three lacertid lizards species of the Iberolacerta genus, which have recently been described or recognised as different species, are reptiles that live strictly at the highest altitudes in Europe, from elevations of near 1900 up to more than 3000 m a.s.l. in the Pyrenees (Spain, Andorra, France). In this paper, the reproductive cycle and reproductive characteristics of these species are described for the first time. Data were obtained from field studies carried out in different high-mountain Pyrenean locations from 1989–2002. In addition we also conducted hatching studies in laboratory. Due to the harsh climatic conditions in the high mountains the activity cycle of these species is very short, just over 4 months, from mid-May to late September or beginning of October. This affects their reproductive cycle (i.e., only one annual egg-clutch is produced), as well as other reproductive characteristics, as the existence of a very advanced embryonic development at oviposition, which is interpreted as an advanced stage in the tendency towards viviparity, and diverse life history characteristics as a very little annual growth which greatly delays sexual maturity to 4 years in males and 4–5 years in females. Clutch size correlates significantly with female snout-vent length (SVL) in all three species. The average clutch size is 2.53 eggs in I. aurelioi (the smallest species), 3.03 in I. bonnali and 3.44 in I. aranica (the biggest species). Notwithstanding the differences in egg number the three species have a similar egg volume. The incubation period in the laboratory is very short with an average of 30–36 days among the species. The low reproductive potential observed in these three species and revealed in this paper is a strongly threatening factor which, together with their extremely reduced distribution area, endangers these endemic, rare and very threatened species.

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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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This paper analyses the literature published in the last 17 years regarding records of albinism, axanthism, erythrism, leucism, melanism, nigrism or piebaldism, among other chromatic anomalies in Iberian herps.Whereas hipomelanistic disorders showed to be more widespread, melanism cases had a high occurrence pattern in the northern side of the Iberian Peninsula.We suggest that thermal melanism could be an adaptive advantage for ectotherms. Notwithstanding this, we also discuss the possible negative effect of the color aberrations taking into account differences in pre-dation pressure.

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West European Rock lizards, Lacerta (Iberolacerta) have small widely separated ranges in highland areas. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences corroborate the monophyly of the group and show it is not closely related to any of the other Rock lizards with which it was formerly placed in Archaeolacerta, an assemblage for which there is no evidence of clade status. L. (Iberolacerta) consists of four main units: L. (I.) horvathi of NW Croatia and neighbouring regions; the Pyrenees species, L. (I.) bonnali, L. (I.) aranica and L. (I.) aurelioi; L. (I.) cyreni of the Iberian Sistema Central, with distinctive populations in the Sierras de Béjar,Gredos and Guadarrama; and L. (I.) monticola of the Serra da Estrela of Central Portugal and NWSpain, this unit also contains L. (I.) cyreni martinezricai of La Peña de Francia, W. Spain and a distinctive population in the Montañas de Sanabria. L. (Iberolacerta) has persisted in some mountain ranges for at least 4.2±1.4Ma and may have been restricted tomountains by competition from Wall lizards (Podarcis). Its clade status shows it has lost range extensively and has produced few external branches since its initial fragmentation. In contrast, Podarcis diversified about the time L. (Iberolacerta) fragmented, producing a series of widespread lineages that have persisted until the present time. The mainly European subfamily Lacertinae, to which both L. (Iberolacerta) and Podarcis belong, diversified rapidly 13–9 Ma ago, probably largely replacing other lacertid lizards of earlier origin. As another round of replacement started at approximately 9 Ma ago with the spread of Podarcis, this may be a recurrent phenomenon in the evolution of some lizard communities.

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Historical factors, current population size, population connectivity and selective processes at linked loci contribute to shaping contemporary patterns of neutral genetic diversity. It is now widely acknowledged that nuclear and mitochondrial markers react differently to current demography as well as to past history, so the use of both types of markers is often advocated to gain insight on both historical and contemporary processes. We used 12 microsatellite loci genotyped in 13 populations of a mountain lizard (Iberolacerta bonnali) to test whether the historical scenario favoured by a previous mitochondrial study was also supported by nuclear markers and thereby evaluated the consequences of postglacial range movements on nuclear diversity. Congruent signals of recent history were revealed by nuclear and mitochondrial markers using an Approximate Bayesian computation approach, but contemporary patterns of mtDNA and nuclear DNA diversity were radically different. Although dispersal in this species is probably highly restricted at all spatial scales, colonization abilities have been historically good, suggesting capability for reestablishment of locally extinct populations except in fully disconnected habitats.

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Ectothermic animals living at high elevation often face interacting challenges, including temperature extremes, intense radiation, and hypoxia. While high-elevation specialists have developed strategies to withstand these constraints, the factors preventing downslope migration are not always well understood. As mean temperatures continue to rise and climate patterns become more extreme, such translocation may be a viable conservation strategy for some populations or species, yet the effects of novel conditions, such as relative hyperoxia, have not been well characterised. Our study examines the effect of downslope translocation on ectothermic thermal physiology and performance in Pyrenean rock lizards (Iberolacerta bonnali) from high elevation (2254 m above sea level). Specifically, we tested whether models of organismal performance developed from low-elevation species facing oxygen restriction (e.g., hierarchical mechanisms of thermal limitation hypothesis) can be applied to the opposite scenario, when high-elevation organisms face hyperoxia. Lizards were split into two treatment groups: one group was maintained at a high elevation (2877 m ASL) and the other group was transplanted to low elevation (432 m ASL). In support of hyperoxia representing a constraint, we found that lizards transplanted to the novel oxygen environment of low elevation exhibited decreased thermal preferences and that the thermal performance curve for sprint speed shifted, resulting in lower performance at high body temperatures. While the effects of hypoxia on thermal physiology are well-explored, few studies have examined the effects of hyperoxia in an ecological context. Our study suggests that high-elevation specialists may be hindered in such novel oxygen environments and thus constrained in their capacity for downslope migration.

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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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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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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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Environmental conditions experienced by a species during its evolutionary history may shape the signals it uses for communication. Consequently, rapid environmental changes may lead to less effective signals, which interfere with communication between individuals, altering life history traits such as predator detection and mate searching. Increased temperature can reduce the efficacy of scent marks released by male lizards, but the extent to which this negative effect is related to specific biological traits and evolutionary histories across species and populations have not been explored. We experimentally tested how increased temperature affects the efficacy of chemical signals of high- and low- altitude populations of three lizard species that differ in their ecological requirements and altitudinal distributions. We tested the behavioral chemosensory responses of males from each species and population to male scent marks that had been incubated at one of two temperatures (cold 16°C or hot 20°C). In high- altitude populations of a mountain species (Iberolacerta monticola), the efficacy of chemical signals (i.e., latency time and number of tongue flicks) was lower after scent marks had been exposed to a hot temperature. The temperature that scent marks were incubated at did not affect the efficacy of chemical signals in a ubiquitous species (Podarcis muralis) or another mountain species (I. bonalli). Our results suggest that specific ecological traits arising through local adaptation to restricted distributions may be important in determining species vulnerability to climatic change

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The life and work of the Alsatian Louis Amédée Lantz (1886-1953), a pioneer of European herpetology. A trained and professional research-chemist, the Alsatian Louis Amédée Lantz was an active and particularly dynamic herpetologist. His residence of nearly twelve years in Russia enabled him to make several field trips to regions such as the Caucasus and Iran. He always carried with him a home made telescopic net that he used to catch lizards. That net became symbolic of Lantz for most people around him. He realized significant herpetological collections mainly deposited in the Museum of the Zoology Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. Soon after the Russian Revolution in 1917, he had to leave the country and stayed for a few years in France before joining England. During this period, Lantz visited the French Pyrenees and the Mediterranean border (Hyeres Islands, Bandol), enabling him to discover for the first time oviparous populations of common lizard and also to describe a new species of lizard from the French Pyrenees. Lantz is also at the origin of the discovery of unisexual reproduction by parthenogenesis in reptiles. His collaboration with the Swedish amateur herpetologist Otto Cyrén, whom he met through the German herpetologist Willy Wolterstorff, was particularly successful throughout his career. Lantz died at the age of 66 years, in Switzerland, as he was about to join the team of herpetologists at the Natural History Museum in Paris.

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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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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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Parts of the mitochondrial genes coding for 12SrRNA and 16SrRNA (together about 960 bp) were sequenced for all Mediterranean species of `Mountain lizards` of the genera Archaeolacerta (sensu lato) and Iberolacerta. All subspecies of the Iberian species Iberolacerta cyreni and I. monticola were included in this study. In addition, samples of Apathya cappadocica and Darevskia rudis were analysed to elucidate the relationships of the European `Mountain lizards` to their possible relatives in the Near East. Maximum parsimony and neighbour joining analyses lead to the following major conclusions: (i) the monophyly of the genus Iberolacerta is very well supported; (ii) Archaeolacerta bedriagae (the type species of the genus) is most basal with respect to the ingroup taxa. If we accept Iberolacerta as a genus, Archaeolacerta becames paraphyletic. Therefore, we propose to restrict Archaeolacerta to the type species and to treat A. mosorensis and A. oxycephala provisionally as members of the collective genus Lacerta; (iii) within the genus Iberolacerta three groups were found: a Pyrenean group, an Iberian group and I. horvathi. The relationships among these groups remain unresolved; and (iv) the Peña de Francia lizards, described originally as a subspecies of I. cyreni, are in fact more closely related to I. monticola.

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Six nominal taxa (`Lacerta` monticola cantabrica, `L. ` monücola monticola, `L. ` aranica, `L. ` aurelioi, `L. ` bonnali, `L. ` cyreni) of the Iberian-Pyrenean Mountain Lizards were investigated by allozyme electropho- resis with regard to IS enzymatic loci. `L. ` horvathi was used as an outgroup for phylogenetic analysis. On the basts of our results - which are in perfect agreement with karyological data (ODIERNA & al. in press a, b) - five taxa can be distinguished (`£.`. monticola, `L`. aranica, `L`. aurelioi, `L`. bonnali, %`. cyreni) which we consider to be species.

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The genus Karyolysus was originally proposed to accommodate blood parasites of lacertid lizards in Western Europe. However, recent phylogenetic analyses suggested an inconclusive taxonomic position of these parasites of the order Adeleorina based on the available genetic information. Inconsistencies between molecular phylogeny, morphology, and/or life cycles can reflect lack of enough genetic information of the target group. We therefore surveyed 28 localities and collected blood samples from 828 lizards of 23 species including lacertids, skinks, and geckoes in the western Mediterranean, North Africa, and Macaronesia, where species of Karyolysus and other adeleorine parasites have been described. We combined molecular and microscopic methods to analyze the samples, including those from the host type species and the type locality of Karyolysus bicapsulatus. The phylogenetic relationship of these parasites was analyzed based on the 18S rRNA gene and the co-phylogenetic relationship with their vertebrate hosts was reconstructed. We molecularly detected adeleorine parasites in 37.9% of the blood samples and found 22 new parasite haplotypes. A phylogenetic reconstruction with 132 sequences indicated that 20 of the newly detected haplotypes clustered in a well-supported clade with another 18 sequences that included Karyolysus galloti and Karyolysus lacazei. Morphological evidence also supported that K. bicapsulatus clustered in this monophyletic clade. These results supported the taxonomic validity of the genus. In addition, we found some parasite haplotypes that infected different lizard host genera with ancient diverging histories, which suggested that Karyolysus is less host-specific than other blood parasites of lizards in the region. A co-phylogenetic analysis supported this interpretation because no significant co-speciation signal was shown between Karyolysus and lizard hosts.

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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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Aim  The genetic impact of Quaternary climatic fluctuations on mountain endemic species has rarely been investigated. The Pyrenean rock lizard (Iberolacerta bonnali) is restricted to alpine habitats in the Pyrenees where it exhibits a highly fragmented distribution between massifs and between habitats within massifs. Using mitochondrial DNA markers, we set out: (1) to test whether several evolutionary units exist within the species; (2) to understand how the species persisted through the Last Glacial Maximum and whether the current range fragmentation originates from distribution shifts after the Last Glacial Maximum or from more ancient events; and (3) to investigate whether current mitochondrial diversity reflects past population history or current habitat fragmentation. Location  The Pyrenees in south-western France and northern Spain. Methods  We used variation in the hypervariable left domain of the mitochondrial control region of 146 lizards collected in 15 localities, supplemented by cytochrome b sequences downloaded from GenBank to cover most of the species’ distribution range. Measures of population genetic diversity were contrasted with population isolation inferred from topography. Classical (F-statistics) and coalescence-based methods were used to assess the level of gene flow and estimate divergence time between populations. We used coalescence-based simulations to test the congruence of our genetic data with a scenario of simultaneous divergence of current populations. Results  Coalescence-based analyses suggested that these peripheral populations diverged simultaneously at the end of the last glacial episode when their habitats became isolated on mountain summits. High mitochondrial diversity was found in peripheral, isolated populations, while the populations from the core of the species’ range were genetically impoverished. Where mitochondrial diversity has been retained, populations within the same massif exhibited high levels of genetic differentiation. Main conclusions  As suggested for many other mountain species, the Pyrenean rock lizard survived glacial maxima through short-distance range shifts instead of migration or contraction in distant southern refugia. Most of the main Pyrenean range has apparently been re-colonized from a single or a few source populations, resulting in a loss of genetic diversity in re-colonized areas. As a result, current levels of intra-population mitochondrial diversity are better explained by post-glacial population history than by current habitat fragmentation. Genetic population differentiation within massifs implies severe reduction in female-mediated gene flow between patches of habitats.

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We conducted a karyological study of Iberian rock lizards by standard and C-, AgNOR-, DAPI-, and Alu I-banding methods. The results showed that Lacerta monticola monticola and L. m. cantabrica possess 2N = 36 uniarmed chromosomes. Lacerta m. cyreni differs from the other two subspecies of L. monticola in the NOR-bearing chromosome pairs and in the presence of the heteromorphic and heterochromatic W-chromosome. The Pyrenean species L. aurelioi and L. bonnali differ from L. monticola in having a karyotype rich in biarmed elements. In fact, L. aurelioi possesses a 2N = 26 karyotype with 10 biarmed + 16 uniarmed macrochromosomes. In L. bonnali, an intraspecific variability in diploid number due to Robertsonian translocations was found: the specimens of L. b. aranica have a karyotype similar to that of L. aurelioi while the specimens from nominal subspecies (population of Monte Perdido) possess a 2N = 24 karyotype with 12 biarmed + 12 uniarmed macrochromosomes. Our results confirm that Iberian rock lizards form a heterogeneous group in which at least five taxa can be distinguished karyologically.

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We studied, at 2200 m altitude, the thermal biology of the Pyrenean rock lizard, Iberolacerta bonnali, in glacial cirque of Cotatuero (National Park of Ordesa, Huesca, Spain). The preferred thermal range (PTR) of I. bonnali indicates that it is a cold-adapted ectotherm with a narrow PTR (29.20-32.77 °C). However, its PTR (3.57 °C) is twice as wide as other Iberolacerta lizards, which may be explained by its broader historical distribution. The studied area is formed by a mosaic of microhabitats which offer different operative temperatures, so that lizards have, throughout their entire daily period of activity, the opportunity to choose the most thermally suitable substrates. I. bonnali achieves an effectiveness of thermoregulation of 0.95, which makes it the highest value found to date among Lacertidae, and one of the highest among lizards. Their relatively wide distribution, their wider PTR, and the excellent ability of thermoregulation, would make I. bonnali lizards less vulnerable to climate change than other species of Iberolacerta. Thanks to its difficult access, the studied area is not visited by a large number of tourists, as are other areas of the National Park. Thus, it is a key area for the conservation of the Pyrenean rock lizard. By shuttling between suitable microhabitats, lizards achieve suitable body temperatures during all day. However, such thermally suitable microhabitats should vary in other traits than thermal quality, such as prey availability or predation risk. Hence, it seems that these not-thermal traits are not constraining habitat selection and thermoregulation in this population. Therefore, future research in this population may study the causes that would lead lizards to prioritize thermoregulation to such extent in this population.

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ventaire exhaustif des espèces indigènes et naturalisées, présentes e n France et au Benelux : 85 taxons, relevant de 72 espèces, sont cités, mais deux autre s taxons, dont le statut reste à définir, sont mentionnés au n os 31 (Rana esculenta) et a u n° 53 (Podarcis muralis) et huit autres au n` 56 (Podarcis muralis tiliguerta) de l`inven- taire. On signale les zones à prospecter par priorité et les problèmes taxonomiques à résoudre d`urgence . Les aires sont définies par rapport aux provinces ou aux départements : des cartes d`aire provisoires, en France, sont données pour 33 taxons. En ce qui concerne la liste des taxons relatifs à la France, les modifications suivante s sont à noter : 1°) taxons admis : Triturus alpestris apuanus, Acanthodactylus erythrurus cf. erythru- rus, Lacerta agilis garzoni, Podarcis hispanica hispanica, Podarcis muralis merremia , Vipera latastei latastei, Vipera seoanei ; 2.) deux intergrades de Salamandra salamandra sont retenus : 30) taxons refusés : Rana iberica, Coronella austriaca fitzingeri, Natrix tessellata tessellata ; 4.) tombent en synonymie les deux taxons suivants : Podarcis muralis occidentalis (= P. m. muralis) et P. m. calbia (= P. m. oyensis). En outre, liste des espèces introduites, liste des espèces citées par erreur et list e des taxons à rechercher . Quelques données inédites concernent le nord de l`Espagne .

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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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Découvert en 1922 dans les Hautes-Pyrénées, le Lézard pyrénéen de Bonnal (Iberolacerta bonnali) est une espèce endémique de la ceinture alpine des Pyrénées centrales, inscrite à l’annexe 2 de la directive européenne Habitats – Faune –Flore. En France, son aire de répartition est presque entièrement située sur le territoire du Parc National des Pyrénées, et en grande partie intégrée aux sites Natura 2000 qui s’y trouvent. Souhaitant optimiserla conservation de cette espèce à forte valeur patrimoniale envers laquelle sa responsabilité est très élevée, le P.N.P. a commandé une étude visant à mieux connaître le Lézard pyrénéen de Bonnal, et comprenant les volets suivants: répartition spatiale et altitudinale, sélection d’habitat, structuration génétique des populations à différentes échelles spatiales, dynamique des populations, biométrie et relation avec les lacertidés sympatriques et syntopiques, notamment le Lézard des murailles Podarcis muralis. Après avoir présenté les caractéristiques du Lézard pyrénéen de Bonnal et du Parc National des Pyrénées, nous livrons les résultats de cette étude: ayant découvert de nombreuses localités nouvelles de l’espèce distribuées sur l’ensemble des massifs du P.N.P., nous avons pu établir que l’espèce occupe la quasi-totalité de son aire de répartition potentielle (étage alpin) sur la zone d’étude. Cependant, la structuration génétique des populations révèle un faible taux (voire une absence) de connexion, y compris entre localités proches, ce fait étant à mettre en relation avec la distribution de l’habitat favorable et la faible mobilité de l’espèce. Enfin, le Lézard des murailles apparaît comme un compétiteur. Ainsi, bien qu’occupant des zones de moyenne et haute montagne relativement reculées où l’impact des nuisances écologiques d’origine humaine apparaît a priori négligeable, le Lézard pyrénéen de Bonnal se présente comme une espèce vulnérable du fait de la fragmentation de ses populations et de la possibilité d’une compétition accrue avec le Lézard des murailles en raison du réchauffement climatique.

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Les Reptiles des Pyrénées traite en détail les 32 espèces protégées présentes sur l’ensemble de la chaîne (France, Espagne et Andorre). Cette faune herpétologique est le résultat d’une entreprise natu­raliste combinant enquête bibliographique et reportage photographique. Elle propose une vaste synthèse de données relatives à plusieurs champs disciplinaires – systématique, ­taxi­nomie, biogéographie, écologie, biologie… – jusque-là dispersées dans plusieurs centaines d’articles et ouvrages. Les variations phénotypiques et les particularités écologiques des serpents, lézards et tortues occupant l’espace pyrénéen y sont illustrées par de très nombreuses photo­graphies exclusivement réalisées in situ, de 2 m à 3 143 m d’altitude. Des cartes de répartition précises (mailles UTM 10 km × 10 km), basées sur des sources scientifiques, complètent et éclairent le propos biogéographique. Les espèces et sous-espèces endémiques ou subendémiques de la chaîne, de même que celles qui y ont un statut particulier (très localisées, vulnérables…), ont fait l’objet d’une attention par­ti­cu­lière et les menaces qui pèsent sur les reptiles des Pyrénées sont largement exposées. Cet ouvrage sera précieux pour les pyrénéistes, naturalistes et gestionnaires d’espaces naturels de la chaîne (parc national, réserves, sites Natura 2000, parcs naturels régionaux…), qui disposeront là d’une mine d’informations sur le sujet.

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Les trois lézards endémiques des Pyrénées: Iberolacerta aranica, Iberolacerta aurelioi et Iberolacerta bonnali, ont fait l`objet de plusieurs travaux de terrain sur le versant français de la chaîne depuis 1999. Ces travaux ont permis d`acquérir d`importantes données chorologiques sur ces trois espèces, en particuliers de nombreuses localités nouvelles qui modifient parfois sensiblement le patron de leur aire de répartition connue (tant horizontalement que verticalement). Ces données, en majorité inédites, sont ici compilées et commentées. Elles démontrent que, contrairement à ce qui était précédemment supposé, une part importante de l`effectif mondial de ces trois espèces (plus de la moitié dans le cas d`I. aranica) se situe sur le territoire français. La responsabilité de la France vis-à-vis de ces trois espèces s`en trouve sensiblement accrue. Le présent article, dernier d`une série de trois, est consacré au Lézard de Bonnal, Iberolacerta bonnali.

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Satellite DNAs compose a large portion of all higher eukaryotic genomes. The turnover of these highly repetitive sequences is an important element in genome organization and evolution. However, information about the structure and dynamics of reptilian satellite DNA is still scarce. Two satellite DNA families, HindIII and TaqI, have been previously characterized in four species of the genus Iberolacerta. These families showed different chromosomal locations, abundances, and evolutionary rates. Here, we extend the study of both satellite DNAs (satDNAs) to the remaining Iberolacerta species, with the aim to investigate the patterns of variability and factors influencing the evolution of these repetitive sequences. Our results revealed disparate patterns but also common traits in the evolutionary histories of these satellite families: (i) each satellite DNA is made up of a library of monomer variants or subfamilies shared by related species; (ii) species-specific profiles of satellite repeats are shaped by expansions and/or contractions of different variants from the library; (iii) different turnover rates, even among closely related species, result in great differences in overall sequence homogeneity and in concerted or non-concerted evolution patterns, which may not reflect the phylogenetic relationships among taxa. Contrasting turnover rates are possibly related to genomic constraints such as karyotype architecture and the interspersed organization of diverging repeat variants in satellite arrays. Moreover, rapid changes in copy number, especially in the centromeric HindIII satDNA, may have been associated with chromosomal rearrangements and even contributed to speciation within Iberolacerta.

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Whereas the range size of endangered species is undoubtfuly useful to predict risk of extinction, the role of their life-history characteristics is much less clear, and their effects may depend on the nature of the threatening factors. Such factors, for instance, are known to be different on islands and on the mainland. We used phylogenetically based statistical analyses to study the relationships among conservation status, insularity, range size, and life-history traits in a clade of Western Palaearctic lacertids including insular and continental species. These lizards are ecologically similar, but they show wide variation in life-history traits and vulnerability to extinction. Insular species of a given size had smaller clutches than mainland ones. Degree of threat was best predicted by a logistic regression including range size, insularity, clutch size, and the insularity × clutch size interaction. On the mainland, but not on islands, threatened species had smaller clutches than non-threatened ones. On islands, small clutch size is probably an adaptive trait, and it might predispose certain species to extinction, but the intrinsic characteristics of such species remain unclear. However, small clutch size was a good predictor of extinction risk on the mainland, having evolved most frequently in late maturing species from montane habitats in which climatic conditions limit their reproductive output and increase their vulnerability to stochastic hazards or habitat fragmentation.

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Research on the taxonomy of European amphibians and reptiles has increased noticeably over the last few decades, indicating the need for recognition of new species and the cancellation of others. This paper provides a critical review of recent changes and draws up a tentative species list.

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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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Monitoring of the population of the Pyrenean rock lizard Iberolacerta bonnali (Lantz, 1927) in the “Val d’Arrious” (Ossau Valley). A monitoring of the population of the Pyrenean rock lizard Iberolacerta bonnali in the Val d’Arrious (Ossau Valley) was established in the Pyrenees National Park. This monitoring allowed mapping the distribution of the Pyrenean rock lizard’s as well as the contact zone with the common wall lizard Podarcis muralis, from the altitude of 2.010 m a.s.l upwards. The habitat of the Pyrenean rock lizard is restricted to the most thermophilous exposures, including Festuca eskia meadows, screes areas, siliceous slabs, and outcrops along with damp boulders and screes where the snow remains, along the stream of Arrious. A capture-mark-recapture study estimated the population size of the Pyrenean Rock Lizard’s population size at 69 individuals (54 - 99 individuals at 95 %), for 2.458 m², i.e. a density of 281 lizards per hectare. The study of the Pyrenean rock lizard of Arrious allowed to make a first inventory of this species and to validate a monitoring method. Other sites will be studied following this protocol to establish a network of sites for long-term monitoring.

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Environmental contamination is supposed to be a reason for population declines in reptiles. Especially intensification and expansion of agriculture are leading to increased pesticide exposure risks for wildlife. In the European Union, Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) have been established for the conservation of taxa listed in Annex II of the Habitats Directive. In the SACs, agricultural land use is legal. Therefore, we conducted a risk evaluation of pesticide exposure for Annex II reptiles by calculating proportions of land use with regular pesticide applications within SACs. Using three evaluation factors (occurrence probability, physiology, life-history aspects), a species-specific risk index was created. Nearly half of the species at above-average risk by pesticide use are globally threatened with extinction (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species). About 30% of their SACs are agriculturally used and one priority subspecies of the Habitats Directive is at highest risk (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis). Also, all evaluated fresh-water and land-dwelling turtle species are at high risk. National variation in agricultural land use in the SACs was observed. Species at above-average risk are mainly distributed in the Mediterranean and Pannonian/Continental biogeographical regions of Europe. Conservation status according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as well as national differences among the member states argue for the inclusion of pesticide risk assessments in site-specific management plans for SACs to avoid regional loss of reptilian biodiversity.