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Simple Summary: The main objective of this study was to provide the first information on the age structure of the critically endangered and endemic frog species, Rana tavasensis, in Türkiye. Age data are important in evaluating the dynamics of populations and effective conservation strategies should be addressed according to age-related parameters (e.g., longevity, mean age, growth rate, and age at maturity). Skeletochronology is an effective method for estimating the ages of amphibians, and using this method, we determined the mean age, longevity, and relationship between age and body size in both males and females of a R. tavasensis population in Çakıroluk, the terra-typica, located in Denizli province, Türkiye. The results of our study provides insights for taking feature measures to protect these frogs, whose number has progressively declined each year due to habitat loss and degradation. This study used skeletochronology to assess the relationships between age and body length among individuals in a population of the Tavas Frog (Rana tavasensis), located in the Çakıroluk plateau, Tavas district, Denizli province. The age varied from 3 to 12 years in both adult males and females. The age was 2 years in two subadult males, while it was 1 year in one juvenile specimen. The mean SVL and age of the adult individuals of the Çakıroluk population were 62.75 mm and 6.70 years in male specimens and 58.04 mm and 6.12 years in female specimens. A positive correlation was found between body size (SVL) and age in adult female and male individuals of the species. Because the number of individuals of the species is rapidly decreasing, species protection measures, based on knowledge related to the age structure and breeding features of these frogs, must be put into action urgently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age and body size in a lowland population of Lissotriton schmidtleri in the İstanbul Province of Türkiye were examined by applying the skeletochronology method. The age range varies between 5 to 11 years in males and 4 to 8 years in females. The mean age and SVL values were 8.1 years and 36.28 mm in males and 6.4 years and 37.72 mm in females. The mean SVL and age values showed a significant difference between the sexes. The present study showed sexual dimorphism and different life expectancy between sexes. The estimated potential reproductive lifespan was higher in males than females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used skeletochronology to assess the relationships of age and body length of the individuals in a population of the Levant green lizard (Lacerta media), located in the Harmancık Village, Torul District, Gümüşhane Province. The mean age and SVL in the adult individuals of the Harmancık population were 101.57 ± 4.04 mm and 5.31 ± 1.34 years for all individuals (101.10 ± 3.61 mm and 5.31 ± 1.03 years in adult females and 102.09 ± 4.57 mm and 5.33 ± 1.67 years in adult males). The age range varied was 4-8 years in adult males and 4-7 years in adult females. The age of the subadult males and subadult females was at 3 years, while the age of the two juveniles was 2 years. A positive correlation was found between body size (SVL) and age in adult female and male individuals of the species. A male-biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD = -0.097) was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using skeletochronology, we assessed the relationships of age and body size (SVL) in individuals from a population of the agile frog Rana dalmatina near the village of Özyurt, North-western Türkiye. The mean age and SVL of adult frogs were 4.50 ± 0.38 years and 61.54 ± 1.31 mm (6.46 ± 0.33 years and 67.86 ± 1.00 mm in females and 3.00 ± 2.71 years and 56.70 ± 1.26 mm in males, respectively). Intersexual differences in body size were female-biased (SSD = 0.196) while the age ranged between 4-8 years in females and 2-6 years in males. There was a positive correlation between body size and age (i.e., larger frogs were older) in both female and male individuals of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study provides the first records (Birlik neighbourhood and Devrek District in Zonguldak Province) of the Bulgarian bent-toed gecko Mediodactylus danilewskii from the western Black Sea coastal region of Turkey. Morphological data of specimens from Edirne (Vakıf Village of Enez District) located in the Thrace part of Turkey are compared to those of specimens from the coast of the western Black Sea. The pholidolial and morphometric characters and colour-pattern features of the Zonguldak and Edirne specimens were found to be similar to those of M. danilewskii reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some life-history traits (e.g. body size, SSD and age) of the Danford's lizard Anatololacerta danfordi were studied applying skeletochronology techniques to the phalangeal bones (n = 33). The mean of the snout-vent-length (SVL) was 59.02 ± 1.07 mm in females and 62.17 ± 1.38 mm in males. The mean SVL was not significantly different between sexes. Sexual size dimorphism was weakly expressed in the slightly bigger SVL of the males (SDI = -0.053). Sexual maturity was attained between the second and the fourth year of life in both sexes. The age ranged from 2 to 6 years in females and from 3 to 8 years in males. The means of age were 4.29 ± 0.31 LAGs in female specimens and 4.63 ± 0.37 LAGs in male specimens. The mean age was not significantly different between the sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life-history traits (e.g. body size, sexual size dimorphism and age) of a Turkish population of the Lebanon lizard Phoenicolacerta laevis were studied using skeletochronology techniques. We measured phalangeal bones (n = 30). The mean snout-vent length (SVL) was slightly different between the sexes. We recorded weakly expressed sexual size dimorphism: the snout-vent-length of the males was slightly bigger (SDI = -0.01). Sexual maturity was attained between the second and the fourth year of life in both sexes. The age ranged from 3 to 11 years in females and from 3 to 12 years in males. The mean SVL was 65.33 ± 3.06 mm in females and 66.59± 3.76 mm in males. The mean age was 6.67 ± 2.63 years in females and 6.47 ± 2.75 years in males. There was no statistically significant difference in mean age between the sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A winter activity of the Danford’s lizard, Anatololacerta danfordi (Günther, 1876) has been observed during two winter seasons in Sütçüler and Aksu districts of Isparta province of Turkey. There is no information in the literature about the active season of this species. Our data showed that this lizard species may be active in winter. Activations of the adult individuals of the species mainly consisted of sunbathing on the rocks and preying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The groups of red-bellied lizards had a small distribution area in the Pontic zone. The several studies performed on these lizard groups are based on taxonomy and systematics. Although there were several taxonomic or systematic researches on some species of this group, the phylogeographical pattern and species disturbing boundaries of this group is still not clear. In the present study, we aimed to resolve the taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships of the red-bellied lizards in Turkey, based on two combined mitochondrial gene fragments and one protein-coding nuclear gene (rag1). Also, we evaluated ecological niches differentiations among red-bellied lizard groups. The mitochondrial DNA genes were found to be highly polymorphic in this group. One hundred and one variable nucleotide sites were detected on the combined gene sequences. According to phylogenetic trees based on the maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI), the red-bellied lizards group have three species groups; Darevskia parvula, D. adjarica and unnamed Darevskia sp. (candidate species for Darevskia genus). This situation was supported by high bootstrap and posterior probability values in the trees of mitochondrial DNA gene fragments. However, no genetic variation was detected according to nuclear DNA (rag1) sequence. Because the species groups have no overlaps in terms of their ecological niches, ecological niche modelling (ENM) results revealed differences among the groups of D. parvula, D. adjarica, and unnamed Darevskia sp. Besides, we detected no geographical overlaps among three species groups, since there were geographical isolation zones among the species groups of red-bellied lizard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]