×

Background. From the genus Darevskia in the territory of Azerbaijan Republic noted 11 species (D. armeniaca, D. caucasica, D. chlorogaster, D. daghestanica, D. derjugini, D. portschinskii, D. praticola, D. raddei, D. rostombekovi, D. rudis, D. valentini). Information on the condition of rock lizards in the republic has not been updated for a long time. The aim of the work was to clarify the data on the distribution and abundance of these species in Azerbaijan.
Materials and methods. The research was carried in the Talysh Mountains (Lenkoran, Lerik and Yardimli districts of Azerbaijan in 2008–2011), in the Great Caucasus (Guba, Gusar, Gabala and Zagatala districts in 2013–2016), in the Minor Caucasus (Dashkesen, Gadabay and Tovuz districts in 2017–2018).
Results. On the basis of own data and analysis of literature sources the data on the distribution and number of rock lizards from the genus Darevskia in Azerbaijan are given. The authors note that the areas of forest lizards of the Talysh (D. chlorogaster and D. praticola hyrcanica) are being reduced and these species need legisla- tive protection. The extinct species for the territory of the Republic should be considered D. derjugini.

×

Materials and methods. Observations of Amphibians and Reptiles were carried out during two tourist trips in March 2016 and in May 2018 in the Iranian provinces of Gilan and Ardebil.
Results. New data on the distribution of 6 species of Amphibians (Bufo eichwaldi, Bufotes variabilis, Hyla orientalis, H. savignyi, Pelophylax ridibundus, Rana pseudodalmatina) and 21 species of Reptiles (Emys orbicularis, Paralaudakia caucasia, Trapelus ruderatus, Darevskia chlorogaster, D. defilippii, D. raddei, Eremias strauchi, Iranolacerta brandtii, Lacerta strigata, Ophisops elegans, Ablepharus bivittatus, Heremites auratus, Pseudopus apodus, Eryx jaculus, Eirenis punctatolineatus, Hemorrhois ravergieri, Platyceps najadum, Telescopus fallax, Xerotyphlops vermicularis, Natrix natrix, N. tessellata) in the study area were obtained. The author compares the obtained data with the results of other Herpetological researches in the region.
Conclusions. In general, the herpetofauna of the Caspian slopes of the Talysh Range in Iran is an inseparable part of mesophilic herpetocomplexes with the prevalence of gyrcan elements common from the north-western foothills of Talysh in Azerbaijan to the Western Kopetdag in Turkmenistan.

×

The potential toxicity of glyphosate, a widely used broad-spectrum herbicide, is currently a great matter of debate. As vertebrate insectivores, lizards protect plants from herbivorous insects increasing plant biomass via the trophic cascade and represent an important link between invertebrates and higher predators. A negative effect of glyphosate on lizards’ survival could have major impacts at the ecological levels. In this study, we investigated the effects of the exposure to low doses of glyphosate on the liver of the wall lizard Podarcis siculus, a suitable bioindicator of soil pollution. Two different doses of pure glyphosate (0.05 and 0.5 μg/kg body weight) were orally administered every other day for 3 weeks to sexually mature males and females. The results demonstrated that both doses, despite being very low, are toxic for the liver that showed clear signs of suffering, regardless of sex. The histological analysis provided a scenario of severe hepatic condition, which degenerated until the appearance of fibrotic formations. The morphological observations were consistent with a loss of liver physiological functions. Immunocytochemical investigations allowed us to detect an involvement of antioxidant/cytoprotective proteins, such as superoxide dismutase 1 (Cu/Zn SOD, known as SOD1), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1), metallothionein (MT), and tumor suppressor protein 53, (p53) suggesting that the liver was trying to react against stress signals and damage induced by glyphosate. Finally, in situ hybridization and Real-Time PCR analysis showed the upregulation of estrogen receptor α and vitellogenin gene expression, thus demonstrating the xenoestrogenic action of glyphosate. The imbalance of the hormonal homeostasis could threaten the lizards’ reproductive fitness and survival, altering the trophic cascade.

×

Most animals face predators in their daily life and have evolved antipredator strategies that promote survival while minimizing escaping costs. For example, many animals often hide into refuges when chased. Ectotherms rely on external sources of heat to raise their body temperature, and thermoregulate to keep their body temperature close to the optimal for performance. For many ectotherms living in temperate areas, it can be expectedthat they pay a cost in terms of heat loss while staying hidden. Indeed, refuges are often more thermally unsuitable than the external environment. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess if and to what extent hiding may result in a decrease of body temperature in a temperate lizard. We used infrared technology to measure the body temperature of a large-sized lizard (Timon lepidus) before individuals escaped from a simulated predation attempt to hide inside a refuge, and after they emerged back from the refuge. We quantified the change of body temperature that lizards experienced while hiding. Results show that while the decrease in body temperature covaried with the time spent hidden, it was also affected by the initial body temperature. Our key finding is that the time spent hidden depends mostly on the temperature inside the refuge. Indeed, lizards hiding in warmer refuges spent more time hidden, likely benefitting from a reduced cooling rate. This suggests that lizards perceive and evaluate the thermal quality of their refuges and integrate this information to react to predation attempts and minimize the potential thermal consequences of hiding.

×

The use of enzymatic biomarkers constitutes a widely used approach in ecotoxicology. However, standard sampling procedures are invasive, requiring tissue, organ or blood extraction. This leads to concerns regarding conservation practice, animal welfare and restrictions in study design. New techniques are needed to avoid these problems, but still generate reliable data. Here, we aimed at validating the use of buccal swabs as a reliable method to detect pesticide exposure in reptiles. Common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) were divided into control, dermal and oral treatment groups and exposed to different pesticide formulations. Subsequently, buccal swabs were taken and enzymatic activity was analyzed. We were able to confirm the suitability of the method to detect effects of pesticide exposure on the enzymatic level. While exposure to the formulation Roundup Ultramax® didn`t match when compared to effects previously observed in situ when compared to other glyphosate based formulations, effects could still be detected. This can be seen as a strong indicator that the active ingredient of a formulation may not always be the mian driver for ecotoxicological effectsat the enzymatic level. At the same time, exposure towards the single formulation Vivando® didn`t result in any effects. However, individuals residing in agricultural landscapes will mostly be exposed to pesticide mixes containing different formulations. Our results strongly advocate that buccal swabbing is a reliable minimal invasive method to generate samples for detecting effects of pesticide exposure in reptiles. Due to its easy handling, we believe it will provide new opportunities concerning study designs.

×

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.

×

The terrestrial lizard Podarcis siculus is the most abundant reptile in Italy, where is considered a ubiquitous species. This lizard is widely distributed from the islands to the Apennines, from cultivated fields to anthropized areas such as gardens and city parks. For this reason, these animals are exposed to extensive physical and chemical stresses, as well as to the possibility of coming into contact with industrial pollutants and substances used in agricultural practices. Here, we review the health status of lizard specimens inhabiting natural non-anthropized areas and fields devoted to organic farming, considering the condition of (1) liver, representing the main detoxifying organ, directly influenced by feeding, and (2) gonads, essential for reproduction and, therefore, for the survival of the species. The morphological and biomolecular condition of these organs was then compared with those obtained from lizard specimens experimentally treated with nonylphenol, a co-formulant of many insecticides and plant protection products widely used in conventional farming, known to have harmful estrogenic effects. Taken together, data demonstrate that lizards inhabiting manured soil are in good health status and show a regular morphology of liver, testis, and ovary. Animals are found to be less exposed to the toxic heavy metals cadmium and lead if compared with specimens collected in areas not devoted to agriculture, but probably more exposed to vehicular traffic. However, manure, as well as nonylphenol, exerts a xeno-estrogenic effect, particularly evident in male specimens, more sensitive to estrogenic contamination.

×

A species meets its range limit if the climatic condition favourable for the species exceeds its physiological limits or if it is controlled by biotic interaction of competitor or limited by dispersal and demographic stochasticity or gene flow. Not all species can fully exploit the potentially suitable habitat available to it. Only a few may be capable of ranging throughout its suitable habitat while most of the species give up their distribution far before its potential range. Biotic mode of range limitation is very rare. Restricted gene flow contributes to limit the distribution of a species in most cases. A set of environmental variables or a single variable may induce restriction of gene flow into a population thereby limiting the range. With the advent of advanced molecular method and integration of population genetics and landscape study, it has been possible to check various hypothesis of range limit due to gene flow. With this concept, a candidate set of environmental variables to predict the distribution of P. cretensis, a Cretan endemic reptile with no known apparent reason for range limit. The working hypotheses are to know if the species meets its range limit in response to abiotic variable or if the restricted gene flow is contributing towards range limit. An ensemble species distribution approach was used to compare the potential distribution and the realized distribution. The environmental data was converted into appropriate cost raster to determine an accumulated cost distance and resistance distance. The cost distances were correlated with genetic distance calculated using a set multi-loci nuclear microsatellite gene to establish the relationship between environmental cost and gene flow. I found that the present distribution is below the potential range and abiotic variable is not the cause of the range limit. Also, the study did not find any significant relationship between selected variables and gene flow. The environmental variables used was found to be too coarse to have an impact upon the species. Use of micro-habitat scale environmental predictors and introduction of biological interaction and mechanistic models into SDM can help to solve the even curious case of P. cretensis.

×

Studies on life history characters are of pivotal importance to understand population dynamics and demography and, if required, to propose effective conservation measures. The Balkan green lizard (Lacerta trilineata) is the most widespread lizard species in the Balkans but, interestingly, there are no studies on its reproductive biology. Herein, we focused on life history traits of L. trilineata, examining 369 museum specimens deriving from 12 island and 5 mainland populations from Greece. We measured the testicle size and the length of the epididymis in males, and the presence, number and size of oviductal eggs and vitellogenic follicles in females during activity seasons (from March to September). Our results suggest that the annual reproductive cycle in both sexes starts in mid-April and ends in July, though insular lizards seem to slightly prolong their reproductive season. Both sexes reached sexual maturity at a minimum body size of approximately 80 mm. Clutch size varied greatly depending on maternal body size. Clutch size and mean egg volume differed between mainland and island populations: in a striking deviation from the island syndrome, insular females carried more (13) but smaller eggs compared to their mainland conspecifics (nine but larger eggs). Mean egg volume was negatively correlated with clutch size.

×

Given agriculture’s outsized proportion of global land use, food production systems must be examined for their role in conservation during this era of anthropogenic global change. Central to this objective is investigating opportunities where goals of food security and biodiversity preservation are complimentary rather than incongruent. Biological control of herbivorous pests by natural enemies is one such area of focus, where accruing evidence suggests landscape complexity fosters functional diversity of predators who offer free pest control services. Despite being widespread generalist predators, reptiles have infrequently been considered for their role in suppressing invertebrate populations. In this study, we investigated an insular population of the common Mediterranean lacertid, Podarcis erhardii (Aegean wall lizard), for its impact on invertebrate communities and herbivory damage through field enclosure experiments. We further studied P. erhardii’s functional response to known agricultural pests in a laboratory setting. Our field results revealed a significant negative interaction effect between lizard inclusion and time on the abundance of ground-dwelling arthropods sized 2-5 mm (! = -0.017, SE = 0.006, p = 0.006), and a marginally significant negative effect of lizard inclusion on arthropods > 5 mm (! = -0.303, SE = 0.153, p = 0.052), irrespective of time. We detected no effect of lizards on the abundance of airborne arthropods or prey < 2 mm. However, our functional response trials revealed lizards’ capacity to consume copious amounts of small prey when naturally aggregated, as well as large amounts of prey biomass relative to predator body size. We found no influence of lizard inclusion on herbivory damage, potentially a result of intraguild predation by lizards on large predatory arthropods and small sample size. Our study illustrates the capacity of lizards to suppress large or naturally clumped ground-dwelling prey, especially later in the growing season when resources become scarce. We argue that biocontrol services are best realized when P. erhardii is among a diverse assemblage of predators, in order to maximize control of herbivorous insects over appropriate spatiotemporal scales. Accordingly, we recommend future studies involve long-term investigation of food web level interactions, including traitmediated effects.

×

First results of an operation to safeguarda railway population of sand lizard(Lacerta agilisL., 1758)in Wallonia (Belgium) –In the framework of an important modernisation work, a conservation operation focusing on the Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis) was carried out on a 4 km segment of the Namur-Arlon railway line, at Arlon. In 2015, 194 individuals were caught using different methods and translocated into three enclosures adjacent to the railway line. In 2016 and 2017, about 271 lizards were either released at their original site (155) or spontaneously freed after opening of the enclosures (± 116 in 2017).The difficulties and problems encountered are precised. The global assessment of the operation, the first carried out in Wallonia for this species, can be evaluated only after a monitoring over at least five years.

×

The purpose of the research: to study the cell response of non-natural paratenic host and encapsulation process of acanthocephalan Corynosoma strumosum in experiment for further comparison with encapsulation mechanism of this acanthocephalan in natural paratenic host. Materials and methods. Experiments were carried out on 24 lizards Lacerta agilis and one L. viridis. 17 encapsulated acanthocephalans were received from 13 of them. Acanthocephalans with capsules were prepared for electron microscopic analysis according to standard methods and examined in light (semithin sections) and under electron (in ultrathin sections) microscopes. Semithin sections were stained with methylene blue or a mixture of methylene blue and crystal violet. Ultrathin sections were stained with lead citrate. All capsules received in the experiment were investigated with the use of the light microscope; 1,5 and 10 day capsules were examined under electron microscope. Results and discussion. All acanthocephalans studied in this paper including those discovered one and half day after the start of experiment were enclosed in the thick cellular capsule with prevailing mononuclear and multinuclear macrophages. Single electron-dense inclusions of regular rounded shape surrounded by hallo of moderately dense material were found in approximately half of both types of nuclei. Nature of inclusions remained unknown. In the interpretation of results, it is necessary to take into account: (1) the presence of these inclusions in macrophage nuclei only; (2) their strictly ordinary positioning in the nucleus; (3) strictly spherical shape; (4) very high electronic density of their material, that exceeds the density of the nucleolus and chromatin; (5) presence of halo; (6) absence of visible pathological signs in nuclei and cell`s cytoplasm where these inclusions had been found. Their appearance is supposed to be connected with the overactivity of lizard macrophages caused by invasion of a parasitic worm.

×

Our studies conducted on reptilian limb muscle development revealed, for the first time, early forelimb muscle differentiation at the morphological and molecular level. Sand lizard skeletal muscle differentiation in the early forelimb bud was investigated by light, confocal, and transmission electron microscopy as well as western blot. The early forelimb bud, filled with mesenchymal cells, is surrounded by monolayer epithelium cells. The immunocytochemical analysis revealed the presence of Pax3- and Lbx-positive cells in the vicinity of the ventro-lateral lip (VLL) of the dermomyotome, suggesting that VLL is the source of limb muscle progenitor cells. Furthermore, Pax3- and Lbx-positive cells were observed in the dorsal and ventral myogenic pools of the forelimb bud. Skeletal muscle development in the early limb bud is asynchronous, which is manifested by the presence of myogenic cells in different stages of differentiation: multinucleated myotubes with well-developed contractile apparatus, myoblasts, and mitotically active premyoblasts. The western blot analysis revealed the presence of MyoD and Myf5 proteins in all investigated developmental stages. The MyoD western blot analysis showed two bands corresponding to monomeric (mMyoD) and dimeric (dMyoD) fractions. Two separate bands were also detected in the case of Myf5. The observed bands were related to non-phosphorylated (Myf5) and phosphorylated (pMyf5) fractions of Myf5. Our investigations on sand lizard forelimb myogenesis showed that the pattern of muscle differentiation in the early forelimb bud shares many features with rodents and chicks.

×

The evolutionary history of taxa with limited overseas dispersal abilities is considered to be majorly infl;uenced by vicariant events constituting them as model organisms for the interpretation of evolutionary processes. An excellent candidate are the wall lizards of the genus Podarcis exhibiting an impressive level of genetic and morphological diversification and harboring several cases of recently discovered cryptic diversity. In this study, we investigated the effect of palaeogeographic events on the wall lizards’ biodiversity patterns in the Aegean (Greece) as well as the evolutionary processes that acted both in space and time. To accomplish that we studied a group of three endemic Podarcis species (i.e., P. cretensis, P. levendis, and P. peloponnesiacus) both at the intra and interspecific levels employing mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data as well as microsatellites. Furthermore, presence information coupled with bioclimatic data (i.e., species distribution modeling, and niche similarity analyses) shed light on the necessary ecological factors for the species’ occurrence. These approaches revealed yet another case of cryptic diversity for this group of lizards, with the existence of two slightly overlapping lineages within P. peloponnesiacus and highly structured populations within P. cretensis. Species diversification occurred during the Pliocene with P. peloponnesiacus divergence into the two lineages dating back to 1.86 Mya. Furthermore, temperature and precipitation related environmental parameters were the most important ones regarding the current distribution of the studied species. Based on the results, we propose a more detailed phylogeographic scenario where both the paleogeography of the area and several environmental parameters have shaped the genetic diversity and the current distribution pattern of this species group.

×

DNA metabarcoding is a fast and simple alternative to traditional microscopy methods, which have been the main tool for identification of prey in dietary studies of lizards. In this study, we applied a metabarcoding approach based on COI and 16S rRNA amplicons to assess diet partitioning and feeding strategies in three syntopic lizards from Taza, Morocco: Scelarcis perspicillata chabanaudi, Scelarcis perspicillata pellegrini and Podarcis vaucheri. In order to avoid competition, these lizards are expected to consume different prey species because they occupy distinct trophic niches, use different foraging strategies and express different dorsal pigmentation patterns. Given the spotted pattern of S. p. chabanaudi, we hypothesize a sit-and-wait foraging strategy with a less diverse diet and a higher consumption of mobile prey relative to the striped S. p. pellegrini and P. vaucheri which, as potential active foragers, are expected to have a higher diet diversity. Previous diet assessments using microscopy on faecal remains seem to contradict these expectations. Our results show that, as expected, the diet of S. p. chabanaudi is less diverse than the diet of S. p. pellegrini. Regarding P. vaucheri, our dietary data are consistent with the hypothesis that this species behaves as an active forager, owing to its high niche overlap with S. p. pellegrini. Advantages and limitations of molecular barcoding compared with the microscopy approach to the analysis of lizard diets are discussed.

×

Small-bodied vertebrates sometimes evolve gigantism on islands, but there is a lack of consistent association with ecological factors or island characteristics. One possible reason is that, even if the ecological conditions are right, body size might fail to diverge on islands that were isolated recently or if there is gene flow between islands and the mainland. We studied body size, ventral colour polymorphism and genetic structure across nine islands and adjacent mainland populations of common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) off the western coast of France. Population genetic data suggested that island populations might have maintained gene flow after their geographical isolation from the mainland. Island lizards were larger and heavier than mainland lizards on average, but the extent of gigantism varied substantially between islands. Island size and distance from the mainland were poor predictors of body size, but lizards from populations that were highly genetically differentiated from the mainland were larger than lizards from less differentiated populations. Colour morphs that were rare on the mainland tended to be more common on islands. We propose that genetic isolation or bottlenecks promote body size evolution in island lizards, which makes it challenging to identify ecological causes of island gigantism without complementary genetic information.

×

The lacertid lizards of the genus Mesalina inhabit the arid regions of the Old World, from North Africa to NW India. Of the 19 recognized species within the genus, eleven occur in Arabia. In this study, we explore the genetic variability and phylogeographic patterns of the less studied M. adramitana group from southern Arabia and the Socotra Archipelago within the phylogenetic and biogeographic context of the entire genus. Our unprecedented sampling extends the distribution ranges of most Mesalina species and, for the first time, sequences of M. ayunensis are included in a phylogenetic analysis. We perform analyses of concatenated multilocus datasets and species trees, conduct species delimitation analyses, and estimate divergence times within a biogeographic framework. Additionally, we inferred the environmental suitability and identified dispersal corridors through which gene flow is enabled within M. adramitana. Our results show that the Socotra Archipelago was colonized approximately 7 Mya by a single oversea colonization from mainland Arabia. Then, an intra-archipelago dispersal event that occurred approximately 5 Mya resulted in the speciation between M. balfouri, endemic to Socotra, Samha and Darsa Islands, and M. kuri, endemic to Abd al Kuri Island. Similar to previous studies, we uncovered high levels of genetic diversity within the M. adramitana species-group, with two highly divergent lineages of M. adramitana living in allopatry and adapted to locally specific climatic conditions that necessitate further investigation.

×

Female Carpetan rock lizards (Iberolacerta cyreni) might assess the quality of males from their chemical signals. Females select areas scent marked by males with secretions containing high proportions of provitamin D to ensure mating with high-quality males. However, an alternative explanation might be that females are not choosing a mate, but that females have a pre-sensory bias for chemical cues of vitamin D in the food and are, in fact, assessing habitat quality to obtain direct benefits of increasing the intake of vitamin D. We evaluated experimentally the possible benefits of a nutritional supplement of provitamin D or vitamin D in pregnant females for their clutches and offspring. However, we did not find large differences between treatments, except in the lower body condition of juveniles of mothers supplemented with provitamin D. We also tested the chemosensory interest of females in the scent of males to study the existence of a sensory bias; this response decreased when the amount of dietary vitamin D exceeded their needs. The results suggest that there are no reproductive benefits in the intake of additional vitamin D and that the potential sensory bias to scents of males could be related to the physiological needs of the females.

×

A new species of rock lizards of the genus Darevskia ARRIBAS, 1997 – Darevskia aghasyani sp. nov. is described from Urts Ridge in Southern Armenia. This species is characterized by a combination of the following characters: small size L – 49–54 mm, L. cd – 107, Sq – 52–56, Ventr – 26–27, G – 24, P. g. – 32–34, P. fm. – 18–20; it is painted in brownish-beige tones from above; the belly is whitish in both sexes, males in the anal area have yellow with ochre femoral pores; bluish spots appear on the edge of the outer ventral shields at the middle of trunk through one shield; on the sides of the trunk (chest area) there are two blue spots in males and one in females; rostral is separated from frontonasal by nasal shields and it does not touch the nostril; upper postocular is twice wider than upper temporal shield; posterior temporal shields are not pronounced, or slightly pronounced; in front of central temporal (Massetericum), there is one enlarged temporal shield; along the throat from ear to ear fold there are 32–34 scales; two large preanal shields present in front of the anal shield. A comparison of Darevskia aghasyani sp. nov. with other species of the genus from Armenia and representatives of “raddei” complex from neighboring regions of Turkey and Iran (Darevskia dahli (DAREVSKY, 1957), D. unisexualis (DAREVSKY, 1966), D. raddei (BOETTGER, 1892), D. raddei vanensis (EISELT et al., 1993), D. nairensis (DAREVSKY, 1967), and D. defilippii (CAMERANO, 1877)) is given. Conservation status of taxa assessed as CR B2ac(iv) “CRITICALLY ENDANGERED”.

×

Most lizards maintain quite constant body temperatures by behavioural means. Seasonal variations of environmental factors, such as temperature, sunlight exposure and wind intensity, influence lizard thermoregulatory abilities. Understanding how seasonal environmental shifts influence lizards’ thermoregulation helps us to know how they deal behaviourally with environmental changes, in general. We examined seasonal shifts (spring vs. summer) in behavioural thermoregulation in Podarcis lilfordi from Binicodrell islet (Menorca, Spain). Operative temperatures varied between microhabitats and seasons, being lower in spring than in summer, regardless of sunlight exposure. Lizard body temperatures were also lower in spring than in summer. Lizards used sunny microhabitats more frequently in spring and shaded areas in summer. Habitat thermal quality was similar during both seasons, but lizards thermoregulated less accurately in spring than in summer. Thermoregulatory effectiveness was low in spring (0.28) and moderate in summer (0.76). In comparison with previously published results, our findings showed the marked seasonal variation in the effectiveness of thermoregulation amongst island populations, which should be considered in future comparative studies.

×

The viviparous Multiocellated Racerunner, Eremias multiocellata, is widespread in North China, Mongolia, and the Tuva Republic of Russia. A nearly complete mitochondrial genome of one individual from the suburb of Jingyuan County in Northwest China was determined by next-generation sequencing. The mitogenome is 17,333 bp in size, comprising 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and one control region. The gene arrangement and composition is similar to the typical mitochondrial DNA of vertebrates. With exception to the control region, all of the 37 genes were completely recovered. The concatenated PCGs were used to conduct Bayesian phylogenetic analyses together with several related lizards with mitogenome data in GenBank. The resulting phylogenetic tree confirmed the monophyly of both genus Eremias and its viviparous group. The mitogenome sequence will provide fundamental data for resolving phylogenetic and genetic problems related to Eremias viviparity.

×

The reproductive maturation hypothesis, the terminal investment hypothesis, and the senescence hypothesis are the most extensively evaluated hypotheses proposed to explain age‐related patterns of reproduction in iteroparous organisms. Here, we evaluated these hypotheses for the Mongolian racerunner (Eremias argus), a short‐lived lacertid lizard, by comparing reproductive traits between females that completed reproductive cycles under the same laboratory conditions in two consecutive years (2008 and 2009). Reproductive females gained linear size (snout‐vent length) not only as they got 1 year older but also during the breeding season. Larger females generally laid eggs earlier and invested more in reproduction than did smaller ones. Females switched from laying smaller eggs in the first clutch to larger eggs in the subsequent clutches but kept clutch size and postpartum body mass constant between successive clutches in a breeding season and between years. Females that laid more clutches or eggs in 2008 did not lay fewer clutches or eggs in 2009. Of the traits examined, only clutch frequency, annual fecundity, and annual reproductive output were susceptible to ageing. Specifically, the clutch frequency was reduced by 1.1 clutches, annual fecundity by 3.1 eggs and annual reproductive output by 1.0 g in 2009 compared with 2008. Our results suggest that the reproductive maturation hypothesis better explains patterns of reproduction in young or prime‐aged females of E. argus, whereas the senescence hypothesis better explains reproductive patterns in old females. The terminal investment hypothesis does not apply to any trait examined because no trait value was maximized in old females.

×

Reptiles, the most diverse taxon of terrestrial vertebrates, might be particularly vulnerable to soil pollution. Reptiles especially lizards have been rarely evaluated in ecotoxicological studies, and there is a very limited report for effects of soil pesticide contaminants on lizards. In this study, male and female lizards (Eremias argus) were exposed to Glufosinate-ammonium (GLA) and l- Glufosinate-ammonium (L-GLA) for 60 days. Slower sprint speed, higher frequency of turning back and reduced brain index were observed in treatment groups. The accumulation of GLA in the brain of lizard was higher than that of L-GLA. Moreover, the activities of neurotoxicity-related enzymes and biomarkers of oxidative stress were also investigated. In summary, the neurotoxic effects of lizards have been observed after exposure to GLA and L-GLA. Based on the result of the Integrated Biomarker Response (IBR), males were more sensitive to contaminants than females. On the other hand, the neurotoxic pathways by GLA and L-GLA triggered were slightly different: GLA mainly acted on glutamine synthetase (GS), acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and Catalase (CAT) and L-GLA aimed at AchE, Na+/K+-ATPase, Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Malondialdehyde (MDA). In summary, the accumulation of GLA and L-GLA in lizard`s brain induced neurotoxicity by altering the levels of enzymes related to nervous system and antioxidant activity and further resulted in the decrease of brain index and locomotor performance.

×

The paper provides data on the current location of the type specimens of Lacerta viridis media Lantz et Cyrén, 1920 as on December 1, 2018. In the collections of ZISP, NHM and NMG 17 syntypes were identified during our study, ten of which appeared to be lost. According to catalogue records, other type specimens of this taxon likely were also stored in NMG, but this cannot be established for sure due to the loss of part of the collection. It is possible that part of the type specimens is stored in the Göteborgs Naturhistoriska Museum, as the majority of the Cyrén’s collections is kept there. The herpetological collection of NM KhNU has two specimens of L. media, coming from the collection of the Caucasian Museum. Most probably these lizards were received from Tiflis for study by A.M. Nikolsky, who lived and worked in Kharkov from 1903 to 1942. However, these specimens cannot be attributed to the type series of this species as their localities data are absent from the list of Lantz and Cyrén. The designation of the lectotype by Šmíd et al. (2014) is considered invalid, as it does not correspond to ICZN rules. To ensure the stability of the nomenclature we designate herein the specimen ZISP 12387 as the lectotype of L. viridis media. The history of the taxon description is given. It is demonstrated that O. Cyrén (1933) was first who upgraded the status of this taxon to a species level, using a binomen.

×

Valentin’s rock lizard (Darevskia valentini) is suggested to be the parent for several parthenogenetic species (e.g., D. armeniaca, D. bendimahiensis, D. sapphirina, and D. unisexualis) that evolved through hybridization. Complex evolutionary processes (including reticulate evolution) are occurring within the areas where Valentin’s rock lizard coexists with these and other rock lizards. Hence, a detailed biological specification of this species is important for understanding how vertebrates evolve. Valentin’s rock lizard is a long-lived (up to 9 years), small diurnal lizard with larger females than males, which is unlike other species of the genus. Their relatively large eggs and early reproduction period, which occurs just after emergence from winter shelters, are adaptations for living in a high elevation climate (higher than 2 000 m a.s.l.). Their body temperatures (31–32 °С) are comparable to body temperatures of rock lizards living in milder climates, though female body temperature is more dependent on substrate temperature and basking due to their lower activity than that found in males. Population density fluctuates from several individuals to several hundred per hectare and is not affected by parthenogen coexistence, although hybrids do occur in sexually biased populations where males are more common than females. The male home range is larger than that of females, though these home ranges broadly overlap. Prey is not limited in the mountain meadows and Valentin’s rock lizards feed on a great variety of arthropods. Infanticide occurs in high-density populations.

×

The Variegated Racerunner, Eremias vermiculata, is widespread in Northwest China, southern Mongolia, and Zaisan Basin of Kazakhstan. In this study, a nearly complete mitochondrial genome (17,972 bp in length) of E. vermiculata from the Dunhuang Basin in Northwest China was determined by next-generation sequencing. Similar to the typical mtDNA of vertebrates, it contained two ribosomal RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes, and one control region (CR). With exception to the CR, all of the 37 genes were completely recovered. The concatenated PCGs were used to conduct Bayesian phylogenetic analyses together with mitogenome data of lacertids in GenBank. The resulting phylogenetic tree confirmed the monophyly of genus Eremias and its viviparous species as well as E. vermiculata, respectively. The mitogenome presented here will contribute to the examination of phylogeographic structure for E. vermiculata and understanding of mitochondrial DNA evolution in Eremias.

×

The aim of this study was to predict suitable habitat for different clades of Apathya cappadocica in the Middle East. An additional goal was to calculate the ecological niche space of all lineages to determine the hypothesized degree of niche overlap and niche differentiation between these clades in Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Syria. All presence records of Apathya taxa in the study area were obtained and georeferenced from fieldwork, literature, and museums. All presence points were determined using 1 × 1 km grids covering the study countries. Environmental data such as bioclimate variables were also gathered at this resolution. Species distribution modeling was carried out using MaxEnt to determine current suitable regions for each lineage, and then the outputs were compared to find the degree of niche overlap between them. Our results found that all of the predicted models have high accuracy and some overlap with each other, especially for A. c. schmidtlerorum, but other lineages have distinctive models. Mean temperature of coldest quarter, isothermality, annual precipitation, and precipitation of coldest quarter were the highest contributed variables for A. c. cappadocica, A. c. wolteri, A. c. schmidtlerorum, A. c. urmiana, and A. c. muhtari, respectively. Ecological niche differentiation was found between all lineages, but A. c. schmidtlerorum shows niche similarity with other subspecies. Therefore, as previously recommended, A. c. schmidtlerorum can be synonymized with A. c. muhtari. Finally, our ecological results confirmed the specific status of all genetic lineages except for A. c. schmidtlerorum, consistent with the recommendation from a previous molecular study.

×

Podarcis species are well known for their polymorphism and in some cases a concolor morphs hads been observed in many species. This note presents a concolor morph of the endemic P. peloponnesiacus from the Peloponnese Peninsula in Lake Doxa, Corinthia, Greece.

×

Acanthodactylus micropholis Heidari, Rastegar-Pouyani, Rastegar-Pouyani & Rajabizadeh, 2013 and A. khamiren¬sis Blanford, 1874 are genetically and morphologically distinct, but their ecological differentiation has not previously been evaluated. The ecological niche models of these two sister species Acanthodactylus were reconstructed using climate and geographical data. Species distribution modeling for A. micropholis and A. khamirensis was used to make predictions and showed that most parts of southern and southeastern Iran are suitable for the distribution of both species. Habitat suitability was mostly dependent upon minimum temperature of the coldest month and seasonal precipitation for A. micropholis and A. khamirensis, respectively. Niche similarity tests (niche overlap and identity tests) were performed to evaluate species dif-ferentiation based on the ecological species criterion. Our results indicate that both species have different ecological niches and are significantly separated from each other. Therefore, our study corroborates previous analyses based on molecular and morphological evidences that suggested that A. micropholis and A. khamirensis were valid species.

×

Breeding coloration of females often signals aspects of their reproductive status, suggesting a link between color and sex steroid hormones. In this study, we examined the relationships between 2 sex steroid hormones (progesterone and β-estradiol) and reproductive coloration in female spiny-footed lizards Acanthodactylus erythrurus. We first explored natural variation in female plasma hormone levels and coloration during their reproductive cycle. β-estradiol was negatively related to brightness and positively related to red saturation, whereas progesterone was not significantly related to coloration. After identifying key relationships, plasma hormone concentrations were manipulated by creating 3 experimental female groups (β-estradiol-treated, progesterone-treated, and control), and the effects on coloration were monitored. β-estradiol-treated females, in which there was a rise in both β-estradiol and progesterone levels, lost their red coloration earlier than females in the other 2 experimental groups, whereas progesterone treatment had no significant effect on female coloration. Our results suggest that high levels of either β-estradiol alone or β-estradiol together with progesterone trigger the loss of red coloration in female spiny-footed lizards, and that progesterone alone does not affect coloration. We hypothesize that changes in female breeding color might be regulated by β-estradiol in species in which conspicuous coloration is displayed before ovulation, and by progesterone in species in which this color is displayed during gravidity.

×

Colour polymorphism occurs when two or more genetically-based colour morphs permanently coexist within an interbreeding population. Colouration is usually associated to other life-history traits (ecological, physiological, behavioural, reproductive ...) of the bearer, thus being the phenotypic marker of such set of genetic features. This visual badge may be used to inform conspecifics and to drive those decision making processes which may contribute maintaining colour polymorphism under sexual selection context. The importance of such information suggests that other communication modalities should be recruited to ensure its transfer in case visual cues were insufficient. Here, for the first time, we investigated the potential role of proteins from femoral gland secretions in signalling colour morph in a polymorphic lizard. As proteins are thought to convey identity-related information, they represent the ideal cues to build up the chemical modality used to badge colour morphs. We found strong evidence for the occurrence of morph-specific protein profiles in the three main colour-morphs of the common wall lizard, which showed both qualitative and quantitative differences in protein expression. As lizards are able to detect proteins by tongue-flicking and vomeronasal organ, this result support the hypothesis that colour polymorphic lizards may use a multimodal signal to inform about colour-morph.

×

The study of stress-related hormones as mediators of sexual selection has traditionally focused on the effect of glucocorticoids on male quality and competing ability. However, environmental stressors are expected to affect both males and females, and the strength of sexual selection might be affected by changes in female mating decisions, a hypothesis that has rarely been tested. Here, we investigated whether female common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) mating behaviour and mating preferences are affected by different levels of administered corticosterone and conditioned by the familiarity of their partners, which is known to influence Z. vivipara social behaviour. To this end, two females, one corticosterone-treated and one control female, were simultaneously presented with an unfamiliar male and the following day with either a familiar or an unfamiliar male. Females treated with corticosterone (Cort) were more aggressive towards males and mated less. Furthermore, copulation probability in Cort females, but not in control females, increased with body size. On the second day, Cort females only mated with familiar partners. In contrast, male behaviour towards females was not affected by treatment and only bigger males successfully copulated with Cort females. This shows that corticosterone directly affected female mating behaviour and mating preferences, while male mating behaviour was unaffected by the female`s level of corticosterone. Environmental and social stressors may affect reproductive strategies of females, the strength of sexual selection, and sexual conflict through their effects on female glucocorticoid levels, potentially in a wide range of species.

×

Shape variation in the vestibular system is often linked to microhabitat structure and locomotor performance. Highly circular and orthogonal semicircular canal pairs are linked to higher motion sensitivity. Here, we use 3D geometric morphometrics to investigate shape variation in the vestibular system within lacertid lizards and its relationship to balance control. We found that lacertids living in complex microhabitats possess narrow but longer vestibular systems, an S-shaped anterior canal, a straightened lateral canal and a short common crus. However, lacertids specialized for simple microhabitats (open areas) possess wider but shorter vestibular systems, more circular anterior and lateral canals, and a longer common crus. Contrary to our expectations, species living in simple microhabitats possess more anatomical adaptations that enhance the sensitivity of their vestibular system. This suggests that species inhabiting open areas may benefit from increased sensitivity given that they are potentially more visibile to predators and have lower shelter availability. Finally, the wider shape of the vestibular system of the open area species may be linked to a wider and potentially flattened skull, which may be related to sand-diving or prey hardness.

×

Live-bearing reproduction (viviparity) has evolved from egg-laying (oviparity) independently many times and most abundantly in squamate reptiles. Studying life-history trade-offs between the two reproductive modes is an inherently difficult task, as most transitions to viviparity are evolutionarily old and/or are confounded by environmental effects. The common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) is one of very few known reproductively bimodal species, in which some populations are oviparous and others viviparous. Oviparous and viviparous populations can occur in sympatry in the same environment, making this a unique system for investigating alternative life-history trade-offs between oviparous and viviparous reproduction. We find that viviparous females exhibit larger body size, smaller clutch sizes, a larger reproductive investment, and a higher hatching success rate than oviparous females. We find that offspring size and weight from viviparous females was lower compared to offspring from oviparous females, which may reflect space constraints during pregnancy. We suggest that viviparity in common lizards is associated with increased reproductive burden for viviparous females and speculate that this promoted the evolution of larger body size to create more physical space for developing embryos. In the context of life-history trade-offs in the evolution of viviparity, we suggest that the extent of correlation between reproductive traits, or differences between reproductive modes, may also depend on the time since the transition occurred.

×

We here describe the first fossil remains of a green lizardof the Lacerta group from the late Miocene (MN 13) of the Solnechnodolsk locality in southern European Russia. This region of Europe is crucial for our understanding of the paleobiogeography and evolution of these middle-sized lizards. Although this clade has a broad geographical distribution across the continent today, its presence in the fossil record has only rarely been reported. In contrast to that, the material described here is abundant, consists of a premaxilla, maxillae, frontals, parietals, jugals, quadrate, pterygoids, dentaries and vertebrae. The comparison of these elements to all extant green lizard species shows that these fossils are indistinguishable from Lacerta trilineata. Thus, they form the first potential evidence of the occurrence of this species in the Miocene. This may be also used as a potential calibration point for further studies. Together with other lizard fossils, Solnechnodolsk shows an interesting combination of survivors and the dawn of modern species. This locality provides important evidence for the transition of an archaic Miocene world to the modern diversity of lizards in Europe. In addition, this article represents a contribution to the knowledge of the comparative osteological anatomy of the selected cranial elements in lacertid. This study gives special emphasis to the green lizards, but new data are also presented for related taxa, e.g., Timon lepidus, Podarcis muralis or Zootoca vivipara. Although the green lizards include several cryptic species for which determination based on isolated osteological material would be expected to be difficult, our comparisons show several important morphological differences.

×

Note are given on the herpetofauna of Greece, with special reference to some of the (sub-) species. The observations were made during a spring trip.

×

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.