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In recent decades, many reptile species have been introduced outside their native ranges, either accidentally through the transportation of goods and materials (e.g., plants, construction materials), but also intentionally through the pet trade. As a paradigmatic example, the Italian wall lizard, Podarcis siculus, native to the Italian Peninsula, Sicily and the north Adriatic coast, has been introduced in several nearby islands since historical times (Corsica, Sardinia, Menorca). Besides these regions, scattered populations were later reported from the Iberian Peninsula, France, Switzerland, Turkey, Greece, the United Kingdom and North America. Here, we provide molecular evidence regarding the introduction and origin of P. siculus in six new populations outside its native range: Romania (Bucharest and Alba Iulia), inland Croatia (Zagreb and Karlovac), Italy (Lampedusa Island) and Azerbaijan (Baku). Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the Alba Iulia (Romania) population originated from a single clade (Tuscany), while the population from Azerbaijan is admixed including two distinct clades, one similar to those found in Sicily and the other present across the Tuscany clade. Samples from Bucharest also have admixed origins in Tuscany and the Adriatic clades. Less surprisingly, samples from Zagreb and Karlovac are included in the Adriatic clade while those from Lampedusa originated from Sicily. Overall, our results further demonstrate that P. siculus is able to establish outside of its native range even under different climatic conditions, not particularly from specific clades or source areas. Also, for the first time in this species, our results indicate that repeated human introductions promote lineage admixture and enhance their invasive potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural heritage sites are often located within biodiversity hotspots, which may induce human-wildlife conflicts despite their effectiveness in attracting tourists. Mitigating these conflicts requires targeted conservation and education measures based on a solid understanding of how visitors perceive wildlife. We assessed visitors' perception of the major wildlife groups (i.e., amphibians, reptiles, water birds) that were detectable during visiting hours, within an archaeological site overlapping with a biodiversity hotspot in southeastern Romania. We explored whether age, gender, education, nationality, and awareness (i.e., prompted by guided tours, previous visits, or protection level of the area) influenced visitors' perception towards the different wildlife groups. Visitors were disturbed or felt repulsion mostly towards the less charismatic wildlife groups: snakes, frogs, and toads; the perception was significantly explained by gender, nationality and awareness. We recommend the site to be used to promote education regarding wildlife conservation, to improve visiting experience and protect less charismatic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]