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The successful keeping and breeding of the Zagros Mountains Lacerta (Iranolacerta zagrosica) is reported. It is a strong rock lizard with a total length of approx. 18 cm, which is characterized by a flattened body and long limbs. The animals are kept in terrariums measuring 35 x 50 x 60 cm (length x width x height), the rear wall of which was designed as a rock wall. Steppe crickets serve as the main food, zophobas, mealworms and wax maggots are also given, which are supplemented with vitamins and minerals before feeding. In addition, the drinking water is always enriched with vitamin D3 and different multivitamin preparations. In this way, the lizards can be kept successfully without UV lighting. Due to its origin, Iranolacerta zagrosica is hibernated in the refrigerator for four months, from November to February. The females lay two clutches per year with up to 5 eggs, but mostly 3 to 4 eggs. At an incubation temperature of 26 °C, the young hatch after about two months. The rearing of the young animals does not cause any problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a literature review, as well as on our own data, 14 ixodid tick species belonging to 5 genera were registered for the lizard hosts of the genus Lacerta (L. agilis, L. media, and L. strigata) in the Caucasus and the adjacent territories: Haemaphysalis sulcata, Haem. punctata, Haem. parva, Haem. caucasica, Haem. concinna, Haem. inermis, Ixodes ricinus, I. redikorzevi, Dermacentor marginatus, D. reticulatus, Hyalomma marginatum, Rhipicephalus bursa, Rh. rossicum, and Rh. turanicum. Tick species Haem. caucasica were recorded from Armenia for the first time. Our findings of Haem. punctata represent the first record of this species for Chechnya, Ingushetia (Russia), Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Most of the parasite species are associated with L. agilis (13) and L. strigata (12); L. media is a host of 6 tick species. Data on the infestation of Lacerta spp. by four tick species from our material (I. ricinus, Haem. punctata, Haem. caucasica, and Hyal. marginatum) are presented in the article. In addition, our article contains information on the range of infections associated with the above tick species. Castor bean tick I. ricinus (236 specimens), the most represented species in our collection, parasitizes all available terrestrial vertebrates including humans and can be vector of many various pathogens, so our study provides significant epidemiological information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The contributions of historical biogeography, morphology and climatic niche evolution in shaping species diversification have been typically examined separately. To fill this gap, we assessed the relative role of geologic history, environment and phenotypic trait evolution in lineage diversification of green lizards in the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot. Location: Eurasia and North Africa. Taxon: Green lizards (genera Timon and Lacerta). Methods: For all green lizard lineages, we characterized distributional ranges and external morphological traits across discrete biogeographical areas, occupied macro‐habitats and climatic niches using environmental variables that represent average and extreme climatic conditions. To assess the contribution of geographical factors in shaping diversity patterns, we evaluated the fit of 24 biogeographical models. We used BAMM and estimated phylogenetic signal to assess the rates of lineage diversification and of phenotypic and climatic niche evolution, and to determine whether these processes occurred steadily or at specific time periods as a response to palaeogeological or palaeoclimatic events. Finally, we tested for associations between phenotypic traits and lineage diversification using trait‐dependent diversification analyses (QuaSSE, ES‐sim and STRAPP). Results: Biogeographical analyses favoured a dispersal–vicariance model explaining speciation patterns in green lizards, including jump dispersal and constrained dispersal by geographical distance. Lineages accumulated gradually towards the present, with minor divergence in morphological traits and conservatism of climatic niches. In contrast, in the Lacerta agilis lineage, niche evolution may have allowed expansion towards colder environments. Morphological and climatic niche evolution were uncoupled from diversification rates. Main Conclusions: Biogeographical processes largely explain the constant lineage diversification of green lizards in the Mediterranean Basin since the Miocene, followed by gradual phenotypic divergence unrelated to cladogenesis. Climatic niche conservatism promoted the accumulation of lineages within the Mediterranean, except for L. agilis, where climatic niche evolution might underpin its range spread towards higher latitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a literature review, as well as on our own data, 14 ixodid tick species belonging to 5 genera were registered for the lizard hosts of the genus Lacerta (L. agilis, L. media, and L. strigata) in the Caucasus and the adjacent territories: Haemaphysalis sulcata, Haem. punctata, Haem. parva, Haem. caucasica, Haem. concinna, Haem. inermis, Ixodes ricinus, I. redikorzevi, Dermacentor marginatus, D. reticulatus, Hyalomma marginatum, Rhipicephalus bursa, Rh. rossicum, and Rh. turanicum. Tick species Haem. caucasica were recorded from Armenia for the first time. Our findings of Haem. punctata represent the first record of this species for Chechnya, Ingushetia (Russia), Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Most of the parasite species are associated with L. agilis (13) and L. strigata (12); L. media is a host of 6 tick species. Data on the infestation of Lacerta spp. by four tick species from our material (I. ricinus, Haem. punctata, Haem. caucasica, and Hyal. marginatum) are presented in the article. In addition, our article contains information on the range of infections associated with the above tick species. Castor bean tick I. ricinus (236 specimens), the most represented species in our collection, parasitizes all available terrestrial vertebrates including humans and can be vector of many various pathogens, so our study provides significant epidemiological information.

The article offers insight to the offspring statistics 2020 of the DGHT-AG Lacertiden. It mentions that most of the offspring last year were achieved with lizards of the genera including Timon, Lacerta, and Podarcis, and lagging behind are the breeding successes with lizards of the genera Darevskia, Hellenolacerta, Algyroides, Iranolacerta, Gallotia, Gastropholis, and Psammodromus.

Sexual reproduction imposes risks on participating adults through increased probability of injury, predation pressure, or parasite exposure. Evolutionary theory predicts that animals will tolerate parasite infection during reproduction at the expense of increased parasite load, resulting in individual trade-offs between the temporary costs of current reproduction against the long-term evolutionary benefits in the form of life-long production of viable offspring. We tested this hypothesis, predicting that participation in sexual reproduction increases parasite exposure by investigating ectoparasite load on sand lizards (Lacerta agilis). Using generalized additive models to correct for bimodal seasonal dynamics of ectoparasite activity, site and year, we found that ectoparasite load is higher in adults (animals that overwintered at least twice) than in subadults that overwintered once only. Between sexes of adult sand lizards, males had a higher number of blood-sucking ectoparasites than females. Our results indicate that both sexually-motivated extensive locomotion associated with territory defence and mate search in males, and increased energy uptake during gestation in females, contribute to elevated ectoparasite exposure. Increased host mobility associated with increased ectoparasite exposure leads to collateral burden of reproduction on sand lizard populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genus Lacerta belonging to family Lacertidae has eight species. Previous studies did not clarify the actual taxonomic situation of Lacerta strigata. The main purposes of the present study is to re-examine the phylogenetic relationship of green lizards (with special focus on L. strigata) by adding more samples and also investigating L. strigata intraspecific genetic structure in its geographic distribution. Therefore, 20 new samples were obtained from Armenia, Georgia and some were collected in the north of Iran. All samples were sequenced for mitochondrial gene, cytochrome b. Additional sequences obtained from GenBank were added to our sequences and the resulted data set was analyzed using two different phylogenetic inference approaches; Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian. The results indicate that all species in genus Lacerta form a monophyletic group and Caspian green lizard is sister taxon to all other species in the genus. Also, there are two separate clades within the species which are also geographically distinct. This study confirms the results of previous studies and the separation of Caspian green lizard from other species in the genus.

We report the observation of bipedal escape behavior of a Balkan Green Lizard (Lacerta trilineata major) on the island of Krk. In a movie clip on YouTube, the reader can also view this behavior in slow motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial niches and habitat preferences of six sympatric lizard species were studied in two model territories in western Bulgaria. The highest level of species diversity (based on two indices, Simpson and Shannon) was reported in the ecotone between oak forests and meadows. The spatial niche breadth was wider in the wall lizard Podarcis muralis and the eastern green lizard Lacerta viridis, while other species showed more restricted preferences to a particular habitat type. To our knowledge, this is the first purposeful research on the habitat preferences of lizard species of the Balkans, based on quantitative data. The results in the present work could be used in further and more detailed analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying population changes is a prerequisite for any conservation efforts, but to evaluate trends requires long-term data sets. In this paper, changes in population numbers in two species of European lizards, Lacerta bilineata and Podarcis muralis, are described. The results are based on counts of mortalities and live lizard presence on roads collected over a 14 year period, which indicated wide annual fluctuations in numbers in both species, with inter-specific annual trends strongly correlated. Snout to vent lengths (SVL) in L. bilineata were generally longer when annual numbers were higher but not in P. muralis. Regression analysis of the logarithmic transforms of annual lizard numbers as dependent variables and year as the independent variable indicated that despite population fluctuations, numbers of both species were stable or increased during the period of observation. Jackknife analysis identified unusually high numbers of L. bilineata in 2012 and P. muralis in 2010, but data from these years had minimal influence on the general trends with the peudo-regression coefficients generated from the Jackknife analysis in agreement with the true regressions. The results were therefore congruent, indicating annual fluctuations in both species were underpinned by long-term population stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

In Baden-Württemberg the only autochthonous populations of Lacerta bilineata are found at the Kaiserstuhl area and the south of Tuniberg. There are at least two introduced populations of this species in Baden-Württemberg in a vineyard near Stuttgart and another one also at a vineyard at a hillside near Tübingen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The Aegean Sea constitutes a major biogeographic barrier between the European and Asian continents and several models of diversification in the Aegean have been documented. Here, we test three of those models for the Aegean green‐lizards (Lacerta trilineata–pamphylica group): Vicariance versus Overland Dispersal versus Island Stepping‐stone Dispersal. We investigate these hypotheses and complement our knowledge on the impact of the Aegean Barrier on east Mediterranean taxa. Location: Aegean Sea, east Mediterranean. Taxon: Lacerta lizards. Methods: We analysed ddRAD loci (double‐digest restriction‐site‐associated DNA) to estimate species‐trees under coalescent models and maximum likelihood trees using concatenation. We performed hierarchical population structure analyses and inferred ancestral distribution‐areas. We also sequenced the complete cytochrome b gene and produced a time‐calibrated mtDNA gene‐tree to conduct a critical comparison with previous studies. Results: Aegean green‐lizards diverged into four main groups in parallel during the Late Pliocene with distributions to the East and West of the Aegean. The Eastern group includes Lacerta pamphylica and East Aegean L. trilineata, while the Western group contains the Central Cyclades populations and the remaining populations of the Balkan Peninsula. The Aegean green‐lizards' ancestor occurred in Anatolia, while the West lineage ancestor occurred in the Central Cyclades islands, revealing a dispersal between the two regions. The radiations of all major green‐lizard groups, including trilineata+pamphylica, occurred in parallel in the Late Pliocene. Main Conclusions: In contrast to previously suggested biogeographical hypotheses for the group, based on mtDNA, the Island Stepping‐stone Dispersal scenario is strongly supported. Green lizards offer a rare paradigm of diversification in the Aegean, where populations largely expanded their geographical distribution and crossed the Aegean Barrier using the central Aegean islands as stepping stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of the Pamphylian green lizard (Lacerta pamphylica) is restricted to the Southern coastal region of Turkey. The species has long been considered a subspecies of the Balkan green lizard (Lacerta trilineata), but was described as a separate species in 1986. Despite its attractive colours and behaviour, experiences with the Pamphylian green lizard in captivity are scarce. In this article the author has examined the incubation time of 9 clutches from five females of this species, which resulted in some remarkable observations. Incubation time of clutches varied from 74 to 124 days before the first egg hatched. Also the time between hatching of the first and last egg of the same clutch was extremely variable and ranged from 13 to 29 days. These observations indicate that the reproductive biology of the Pamphylian green lizard displays some features not observed in other species of large green lizards. The evolutionary advantage of these unique reproductive features is not directly clear. In view of the arid climate conditions in summer in Southern Turkey, the large variation in incubation time between clutches and between eggs of the same clutch may ensure that at least some of the juveniles are born during periods of favourable weather conditions. This might increase their chances of survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Locomotor performance provides one of the key pieces of information regarding whole-organism function. Experiments encompassing behavioral data commonly endeavor to measure parameters such as burst speed, latency time, distance traveled, and other aspects of locomotion. Behavioral experiments can uncover an immense range of information, from the individual, interspecific, and intraspecific levels up to correlations with ecological factors and parameters from the ecosystem. Here, we explored the locomotor behavior of two lizard species, Lacerta viridis and Lacerta agilis, in an open field test (OFT). The main aim was to reveal changes in locomotion over time. Although we observed no time-related variation in L. agilis, we discovered significant changes in locomotor behavior over the course of the experiment in Lacerta viridis. Measured behavioral traits (resting time, total distance traveled, mean speed) showed significant changes across time in L. viridis, thus indicating the importance of time as a factor when conducting behavioral experiments. Moreover, we observed that in 10-min experimental session, the individuals have undergone different stages from freezing behavior, exploration, to habituation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, IMO‐TaqI satDNA, previously isolated in several species of Lacertidae, was isolated and characterized from four species of the genus Lacerta and three of the genus Timon. The aim was to gain further insights into the evolutionary dynamics of this satDNA, its occurrence among lacertids and to understand if it plays any role in sex chromosome evolution in these seven species. The results here obtained highlighted the presence of this repetitive element in the genome of all the species investigated, thus indicating that IMO‐TaqI satDNA is evolutionary conserved among a wide variety of lacertids. In addition, this element was found to be very abundant in the constitutive heterochromatin of the W‐sex chromosome of the four Lacerta species investigated. The occurrence of IMO‐TaqI satDNA on Lacerta heterochromosome suggests that it is involved in the differentiation of the W chromosome by heterochromatinization, and the fact that it is absent in the W of other lacertids investigated seems to confirm that repetitive DNA sequences would remain randomly trapped into the sex chromosomes, undergoing amplification as a consequence of the suppression of recombination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether maternal effects are adaptive or not has been a long-standing topic of discussion in evolutionary ecology. The effects of maternal diet on offspring have been addressed by several studies on diverse organisms, but results are typically conflicting or inconclusive., In this study, we conducted food manipulation experiments with a factorial design (high and low maternal food conditions × high and low offspring food conditions) in a viviparous lacertid lizard ( Eremias multiocellata) to test four competing hypotheses on the evolutionary significance of maternal effects: environmental matching hypothesis, low-food compensation hypothesis, low-food pathology hypothesis and no-compensation hypothesis., We found that offspring under the maternal low-food treatment had higher growth and survival rates than those under the maternal high-food treatment, supporting the low-food compensation hypothesis rather than the environmental matching hypothesis, which has been widely accepted as an explanation for the adaptive significance of maternal effects., Our study highlights the importance of testing multiple competing hypotheses that involve both adaptive and non-adaptive explanations when studying the evolutionary significance of phenotypic plasticity., A is available for this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new locality of Çeştepe in the Kazan Basin, 45 km NNW of Ankara, yielded the remains of three species of reptiles (cf. Lacerta sp., Anguinae indet. and Varanus sp.) and an ochotonid lagomorph, Ochotona mediterranensis Suata Alpaslan, 2009. The latter species suggests an early Pliocene age (MN14). The fossil layer is included in the Sinap Formation that delivered abundant remains of Mio-Pliocene mammals in the southern part of the basin, but in the northern part of the basin Çeştepe is currently the unique fossil site. The age assigned by the fauna led to revise the stratigraphy of sedimentary formations in the Çeştepe area, previously confusing because of the various lithostratigraphic unit names and ages given in previous work. The taxa described in this note are still poorly known in Turkey. Varanus has been previously reported from Çalta, a locality 16.3 km SW to Çeştepe in the same basin, and O. mediterranensis from Iğdeli in the Sivas Basin. Although represented by a few taxa, the Çeştepe faunule shows Eurasian affinities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schreiber's green lizards (Lacerta schreiberi) are endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, mostly restricted to riparian shrubs in mountain ranges and low temperate forests close to mountain slopes. The image shows a male from Valdesquí (Madrid). This population had a critical thermal maximum of 41.1 °C (CTmax), which would result in 697 annual hours per 25‐km2 grid cell in which this species would be inactive over its full distribution given prevailing climatic conditions. Individuals from Valdesquí have smaller body size, are exposed to colder climates and live in more open habitat than those from three additional study sites. Median and 90% interquartile ranges of CTmax were 41.7 [41.0, 42.1] °C across populations, giving rival species‐level estimates of restriction time from 596 to 715 anual hours per 25‐km2 grid cell. See pp 247-257. Photo by Salvador Herrando‐Perez. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper shows details on the structure of the GIS-based data-base created in order to carry out accurate analyzes of the spatial distribution on national level of the species belonging to the Lacertidae family. The results of the data processing shows that there are 1015 records (on a total number of 613 local administrativeterritories) of Sand Lizards (Lacerta agilis), 775 records (on a total number of 446 local administrative territories) of Green Lizards (L. viridis), 65 records (on a total number of 30 local administrative territories) of Balkan Green Lizards (L. trilineata), 66 records (on a total number of 38 local administrative territories) of Meadow Lizards (L. praticola), 440 records (on a total number of 226 local administrative territories) of Viviparous Lizards (L. vivipara), 328 records (on a total number of 202 local administrative territories) of Wall Lizards (Podarcis muralis), 288 records (on a total number of 126 local administrative territories) of Balkan Wall Lizards (P. taurica) and 34 records (on a total number of 12 local administrative territories) of Steppe Runners (Eremias arguta) made in Romania up to the year 2007.

Host species in populations under strong pressures from parasitic diseases may evolve ornaments to signal individual host quality to conspecifics. Colour ornaments in lizards result from the interaction of different layers in the skin. When inner layers of melanin and well-arranged iridophores are combined, UV-blue structural colouration results. On the other hand, when layers of erythrophores are densely loaded with carotenoids, a UV-yellow colouration is seen. The expression of carotenoid-based traits has been frequently studied in relation to parasite infections. However, few studies have explored the relationship between parasitic diseases and structural colouration. In this study, we investigated the expression of UV-blue and UV-yellow throat colour patches in males of Lacerta schreiberi in relation to infection by haemoparasites, ixodid ticks and intestinal nematodes. The brightness of the UV-yellow throat patch (a carotenoid-based ornament) was positively correlated with body condition and negatively correlated with the number of attached ticks, supporting Hamilton and Zuk's hypothesis. Additionally, individuals that passed nematode eggs in the faeces had UV-yellow throat patches with higher hue values (more greenish colouration). Strikingly, the individuals infected by haemoparasites of the genus Schellackia showed UV-blue throat patches (a melanin-based ornament) with higher values of both UV-blue chroma and hue (i.e., UV-biased throats) than did uninfected individuals, suggesting a key role for melanin in the nuptial colouration of this lizard species. Thus, the combined information from both UV-blue and UV-yellow throat patches may convey integrative information about individual quality in this lacertid species. Significance statement In this study, we present evidence that the striking throat colouration in males of the endemic Iberian green lizard is related to the presence or load of different parasites. The ornament is composed of one UV-yellow patch and one UV-blue patch, which were differentially related to the presence of different parasitic diseases in the individual hosts. These results suggest that different parasitic diseases may differentially constrain the expression of these colour patches. Moreover, the combined display of the two throat patches simultaneously may convey to conspecifics integrative information about the individual quality of the Iberian green lizard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Caspian Green Lizard, Lacerta strigata Eichwald, 1831, is a member of the Lacertidae family distributed in the Caspian coast of northern Iran. The specimens were found in coastal dunes, hilly areas and pastureland containing some shrubby cover. In this research, the reproductive biology of this species was studied from April 20 to September 5, 2013. Forty eight adult specimens including 24 females and 24 males were collected by hand at midday from three sampling stations (Goharbaran, Ab-Bandansar and Ab-Bandankesh) of Sari County, located in Mazandaran Province of Iran. Ovaries and testes were removed and processed for histological and morphometric studies. In females, there were 6-17 follicles in each ovary. Totally, 6-10 oviductal eggs were observed in mature females. The oogenic and spermatogenic cycle begins from late March, mating starts from early May, with oviposition occurring from late May to late June, with the possibility of producing a secondary clutch later in the season. In males, the mean number and mean diameter of seminiferous tubules were 86.95 and 190.4750 microns, respectively. The mean diameter of tunica albuginea, germinal layer and lumen were 18.75, 69.79 and 144.27 microns, respectively. Maximum reproductive activity occurs from early May to early June, reduces from early July and ends in August. Hence, oogenesis and spermatogenesis occurs from April through July, L. strigata follows a seasonal reproductive cycle with associated type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Locomotor impairment during pregnancy can be attributed to physical burden or physiological changes associated with pregnancy. However, the degree to which physical and physiological changes affect reproductive costs likely varies between species. Here, we used the Qinghai toad-headed lizard (Phrynocephalus vlangalii) as a model to assess locomotor costs during pregnancy and the relative impact of physical and physiological effects in pregnant viviparous lizards. The locomotor costs of pregnancy were pronounced: sprint speed decreased gradually throughout pregnancy, reached a minimum at parturition and increased slowly thereafter. The reduced speed in pregnant females was not related to relative litter mass. Compared with the locomotion of non-reproductive females or males, pregnant females exhibited lower speeds and shorter stride lengths. These results suggest that, despite having a physical effect on locomotor performance, physiological changes associated with pregnancy likely play a major role in locomotor impairment in pregnant P. vlangalii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Balkan green lizard (Lacerta trilineata) is the most widespread lizard in the Balkans, ranging from Croatia to Crete and from Ionian to Black Sea. Surprisingly, its feeding ecology remains largely understudied. In this study we describe the diet of the species using 288 specimens from museum collections that derived from 8 island and 4 mainland populations from Greece. Besides yielding basic information on the trophic preferences of the species, our aim was also to unravel the effect of sex, age, season and habitat on the feeding patterns. The diet of L. trilineata consisted mainly of insects, with Coleoptera (51%) and Orthoptera (11%) being the predominant prey groups. Though we failed to detect any sexual variation, we found that ontogeny, season and habitat seem to affect the feeding ecology of the species. Juveniles had higher niche breadth and fed on softer preys. Lacerta trilineata changes its feeding preferences throughout the year. Island populations adopted a higher niche breadth during summer; mainland lizards - during spring. Islanders showed also a clear proneness to herbivory, most probably due to the food scarcity of the islands. Lacerta trilineata is an opportunistic predator that shifts its diet according to season and habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sequenced the mitochondrial genome of the Western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) using Illumina technology and additional Sanger sequencing. The assembled 17 086 bp mitogenome had a GC content of 40.32% and consisted of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and one control region (CR), with a gene order identical to the chordate consensus. In addition, we re-sequenced the mitogenome of the closely related Eastern green lizardL. viridisusing the same techniques as forL. bilineata. The mitogenomes ofL. bilineataandL. viridisshowed a sequence identity of 94.4% and 99.9%, respectively, relative to the previously publishedL. viridismitogenome. The phylogenetic reconstruction based on 17 Lacertinae mitogenomes usingAnolis carolinensisas the outgroup supportedL. bilineataand its sister speciesL. viridisas distinct lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Highlights: [•] Phylogenetic analysis of the genus Lacerta (includes four species) in Greece. [•] Species trees revealed substantial conflicts with the current taxonomy. [•] L. viridis and L. bilineata originated in Balkans, while L. trilineata in Anatolia. [•] The genus’ range was shaped by dispersal and vicariant events. [•] Key geological event for L. trilineata diversification was the formation of MAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations have been made on post hibernation movements in four species of reptile, Heirophis viridiflavus, Natrix natrix, Vipera aspis and Lacerta bilineata, around a hibernaculum in western France. Movement around the hibernaculum was observed between late March and late May with most sightings in April. Sightings gradually declined as April progressed with no reptiles seen after May 28. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated whether the current distribution of Lacerta schreiberi is likely to be constrained by incubation conditions. We used an incubation experiment in the laboratory to examine the effects of temperature and moisture on lizard reproductive traits, in order to clarify the ecological processes that underlie the distribution patterns of this lizard and to build more reliable mechanistic models. We then investigated to what extent range limits of L. schreiberi coincided with those predicted from incubation experiments and actual temperature variation experienced in the field. This was done by intersecting documented presence localities of the species with interpolated spatial layers of soil temperature. Reproductive success (hatching success, morphological traits and growth rates) was strongly and negatively affected by high temperature. In contrast, incubation moisture only affected neonate size and its positive effects were only realized at moderate to low temperature. Documented temperature sensitivity suggests that successful embryonic development is likely to be compromised by available thermal conditions, and that this species is unable to colonize warmer areas such as those where L. schreiberi is absent beyond its distribution range limits. An important addition is that incubation moisture does not appear to influence overall embryonic development. We would expect contemporary climate warming to cause upward elevational shifts which may be more or less critical depending on the availability of preferred habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Diversification and rapid radiation are well documented in lacertid lizards. Niche conservation is frequently observed among related taxa, whereby niches will not change much during speciation events. Here, we investigate the relationship between environmental niche divergence and phylogenetic relatedness in a widespread group of green lizards, the Lacerta trilineata group. Location Eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia and adjacent regions. Methods A dated phylogeny based on three mitochondrial genes was contextualized using species distribution models of all genetically identified lineages in the Lacerta trilineata group. Based on this analysis, ancestral climatic niche occupancy was reconstructed using niche occupancy profiles. Niche divergence among lineages was quantified by computing multivariate niche overlaps. Results All taxa are associated with humid areas, but there is extensive variation in their climatic niche breadths and positions, which accord with the main phylogenetic split in the group. Our results suggest divergent niche evolution within subclades and convergent evolution among clades, which implies only a limited degree of niche conservatism regarding annual variations in temperature and precipitation. In contrast, niche axes - mainly reflecting precipitation patterns of the coldest quarter - show a greater difference among clades than within clades, and therefore a higher degree of niche conservatism. Main conclusions Based on estimated divergence times between taxa and geological events in Anatolia, our results can be explained by fragmentation of the range of a hypothetical ancestral species, resulting in different adaptations of subclades either to humid continental climates or to more Mediterranean climates. Our study highlights deviations from classical niche conservatism theory due to significant niche shifts among sister taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery of two new dwarf galaxies, Lacerta I/Andromeda XXXI (Lac I/And XXXI) and Cassiopeia III/Andromeda XXXII (Cas III/And XXXII), in stacked Pan-STARRS1 rP1- and iP1-band imaging data. Both are luminous systems (MV ~ -12) located at projected distances of 20°.3 and 10°.5 from M31. Lac I and Cas III are likely satellites of the Andromeda galaxy with heliocentric distances of 756+44 -28 kpc and 772+61 -56 kpc, respectively, and corresponding M31-centric distances of 275 ± 7 kpc and 144+6 -4 kpc. The brightest of recent Local Group member discoveries, these two new dwarf galaxies owe their late discovery to their large sizes (rh = 4.2+0.4 -0.5 arcmin or 912+124 -93 pc for Lac I; rh = 6.5+1.2 -1.0 arcmin or 1456 ± 267 pc for Cas III) and consequently low surface brightness (μ0 ~ 26.0 mag arcsec-2), as well as to the lack of a systematic survey of regions at large radii from M31, close to the Galactic plane. This latter limitation is now alleviated by the 3π Pan-STARRS1 survey, which could lead to the discovery of other distant Andromeda satellite dwarf galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucocorticoids affect physiology and behaviour, reproduction and potentially sexual selection as well. Short-term and moderate glucocorticoid elevations are suggested to be adaptive, and prolonged and high elevations may be extremely harmful. This suggests that optimal reproductive strategies, and thus sexual selection, may be dose dependent. Here, we investigate effects of moderate and high elevations of blood corticosterone levels on intra- and intersexual behaviour and mating success of male common lizards Lacerta vivipara. Females showed less interest and more aggressive behaviour towards high corticosterone males and blood corticosterone levels affected male reproductive strategy. Males of moderate and high corticosterone elevations, compared with Control males, showed increased interest (i.e., higher number of chases, tongue extrusions, and approaches) towards females and high corticosterone males initiated more copulation attempts. However, neither increased male interest nor increased copulation attempts resulted in more copulations. This provides evidence for a best-of-a-bad-job strategy, where males with higher corticosterone levels compensated for reduced female interest and increased aggressive female behaviour directed towards them, by showing higher interest and by conducting more copulation attempts. Blood corticosterone levels affected intrasexual selection as well since moderate corticosterone levels positively affected male dominance, but dominance did not affect mating success. These findings underline the importance of female mate choice and are in line with adaptive compensatory behaviours of males. They further show that glucocorticoid effects on behaviour are dose dependent and that they have important implications for sexual selection and social interactions, and might potentially affect Darwinian fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty-eight Balkan green lizards, Lacerta trilineata, from Turkey were examined for helminths. Three species of Digenea, Plagiorchis elegans, Pleurogenoides medians, Brachylaemus sp. (metacercaria); 2 species of Cestoda, Oochoristica tuberculata and Mesocestoides sp. (tetrathyridium); and 6 species of Nematoda, Abbreviata abbreviata, Ascarops strongylina (larva in cysts), Falcaustra armenica, Ostvaldocruzia filiformis, Skrjabinelazia hoffmanni, Skrjabinodon medinae, were found. Lacerta trilineata represents a new hoşt record for each of the parasite species; Plagiorchis elegans, Brachylaemus sp., Oochoristica tuberculata, Mesocestoides sp., Abbreviata abbreviata, Ascarops strongylina (larva), Falcaustra armenica Skrjabinelazia hoffmanni, and Skrjabinodon medinae are reported from Turkey for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent work on animal signals has revealed a wide occurrence of UV signals in tetrapods, in particular birds, but also in lizards (and perhaps other Squamate reptiles). Our previous work on the Swedish sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) has verified, both in correlative selection analyses in the wild and with laboratory and field experiments, the importance of the green 'badge' on the body sides of adult males for securing mating opportunities, probably mostly through deterring rival males rather than attracting females. The role of UV in communication has, however, never been examined. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we show that when measured immediately after spring skin shedding, there is also signaling in the UV. By UV-depriving the signal (reflectance) with sun block chemicals fixated with permeable, harmless spray dressing, we show that males in the control group (spray dressing only) had significantly higher success in mate acquisition than UV-deprived males. Conclusions/Significance: These results suggest that at least two colour traits in sand lizards, badge area and UV, contribute to rival deterrence and/or female choice on UV characters, which elevates success in mate acquisition in UV intact male sand lizards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Iberian Peninsula is recognized as an important refugial area for species survival and diversification during the climatic cycles of the Quaternary. Recent phylogeographic studies have revealed Iberia as a complex of multiple refugia. However, most of these studies have focused either on species with narrow distributions within the region or species groups that, although widely distributed, generally have a genetic structure that relates to pre-Quaternary cladogenetic events. In this study we undertake a detailed phylogeographic analysis of the lizard species, Lacerta lepida, whose distribution encompasses the entire Iberian Peninsula. We attempt to identify refugial areas, recolonization routes, zones of secondary contact and date demographic events within this species. Results: Results support the existence of 6 evolutionary lineages (phylogroups) with a strong association between genetic variation and geography, suggesting a history of allopatric divergence in different refugia. Diversification within phylogroups is concordant with the onset of the Pleistocene climatic oscillations. The southern regions of several phylogroups show a high incidence of ancestral alleles in contrast with high incidence of recently derived alleles in northern regions. All phylogroups show signs of recent demographic and spatial expansions. We have further identified several zones of secondary contact, with divergent mitochondrial haplotypes occurring in narrow zones of sympatry. Conclusions: The concordant patterns of spatial and demographic expansions detected within phylogroups, together with the high incidence of ancestral haplotypes in southern regions of several phylogroups, suggests a pattern of contraction of populations into southern refugia during adverse climatic conditions from which subsequent northern expansions occurred. This study supports the emergent pattern of multiple refugia within Iberia but adds to it by identifying a pattern of refugia coincident with the southern distribution limits of individual evolutionary lineages. These areas are important in terms of long-term species persistence and therefore important areas for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photographic identification is a promising marking technique alternative to the toe-clipping, since it is completely harmless, cheap, and it allows long time identification of individuals. Its application to ecological studies is mainly limited by the time consuming to compare pictures within large datasets and the huge variation of ornamentation patterns among different species, which prevent the possibility that a single algorithm can effectively work for more than few species. Scales of Reptiles offer an effective alternative to ornamentations for computer aided identification procedures, since both shape and size of scales are unique to each individual, thus acting as a fingerprint like ornamentation patterns do. We used the Interactive Individual Identification System (I3S) software to assess whether different individuals of two species of European lizards (Podarcis muralis and Lacerta bilineata) can be reliably photographically identified using the pattern of the intersections among pectoral scales as fingerprints. We found that I3S was able to identify different individuals among two samples of 21 individuals for each species independently from the error associated to the ability of the operators in collecting pictures and in digitizing the pattern of intersections among pectoral scales. In a database of 1043 images of P. muralis collected between 2007 and 2008, the software recognized 98% of recaptures within each year, and 99% of the recaptures between years. In addition, 99% and 96% of matches were ranked among the top five, and no more than 5 minutes were needed for digitizing and processing each image. The lepidosis of reptiles is a reliable alternative to ornamentation patterns in photographic identification of reptiles, which can be effectively analysed using the I3S software. This result represents a significant improvement in photographic identification of reptiles since (i) this procedure can be easily extended to most other species of reptiles, (ii) all kind of individuals within a species can be marked (i.e., young, subadults and adults) despite the differences in ornamentation patterns, and (iii) it is the only technique for species, like the western green lizard, which lack a clear ornamentation pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although future anthropogenic climate change is recognized as one of the major threats to European species, its implementation during reserve planning has only been started recently. We here describe climate change impacts on the Iberian endemic lizard Lacerta schreiberi expecting serious declines and range reductions due to a loss of suitable climate space in the next future. We apply species distribution models to assess possible future changes in the lizard’s range, identify areas with high extinction risk meriting conservation efforts and analyze whether the Natura 2000 network in its current stage will offer a sufficient protection for the genetically most valuable lineages. Despite a very good coverage and connectivity of the most valuable populations of L. schreiberi with the existing protected sites network, our results predict a strong loss of genetic variability by 2080. Also, two main patterns become evident: While the genetically less diverse north-western populations may be less affected by climate change, the climate change effects on the southern isolates and the genetically most diverse populations within the Central System may be devastating. To improve a successful prospective conservation of L. schreiberi the management of protected sites needs to consider the processes that threaten this species. Furthermore, our study highlights the urgent need to consider climate change effects on evolutionary significant units within the Natura 2000 framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the taxonomic history of the Linnean genus Lacerta based on book illustrations. A cohesive pattern has been observed in lumping Lacerta, comprising lizards, crocodiles and salamanders. The first illustrations of lizards that emerged in the 16th century are said to be characterized by a lack of systematic insight and a lack of technical options. Tree-like diagrams that also comprise reptiles are considered significant in the history of lizards and of general biology, though it was not clear during the pre-evolutionary times if the trees should represent identification keys only or if they should depict relationships in illustrating the Linnean hierarchical system through diagrams.