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Paper description: Seven main genetic clades have been previously recognized within Vipera ammodytes but the distribution boundaries between those groups have not been clearly defined. Our study used sequences of the 16S rRNA mitochondrial DNA gene to determine the molecular phylogenetic position of boundary area populations of the nose-horned viper in Serbia and adjacent regions using novel samples. We recognized the presence of three main Vipera ammodytes genetic clades in Serbia instead of two previously identified in the literature. Our findings contribute to the knowledge of genetic diversity in Serbia and further delimit the geographical distributions of Vipera ammodytes clades in the Central Balkan Peninsula. Abstract: Seven genetic clades have been recognized within the species Vipera ammodytes (nose-horned viper); however, the precise phylogenetic position of many Balkan populations is unknown. We used Bayesian analysis of the mtDNA sequences from the 16S rRNA mtDNA gene obtained from 47 individuals (26 novel samples sequenced in this study and 21 sequences available from GenBank). Our results show that sampled nose-horned vipers from localities in Serbia are clustered within three clades: the northeastern (23 individuals), the northwestern (two individuals) and the southeastern (one individual). Results revealed an overlapping distribution of the northeastern and the northwestern clades in two populations. We have revealed that the northeastern clade extends further south than previously suggested, to the Ohrid/Prespa lakes in North Macedonia. Our findings contribute to the knowledge of the genetic diversity of this species in Serbia and help to clarify the geographical distributions of mtDNA-defined clades. https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS181020028C Received: October 20, 2018; Revised: March 11, 2019; Accepted: April 17, 2019; Published online: April 24, 2019 How to cite this article: Cubric T, Stamenkovic G, Ilic M, Crnobrnja-Isailovic J. Contribution to the phylogeography of the nose-horned viper ( Vipera ammodytes , Linnaeus, 1758) in the central Balkan peninsula. Arch Biol Sci. 2019;71(3):463-8.

Hydropower plants (HPPs) have a strong environmental impact on freshwater wetlands. Small diversion HPPs (SDHPPs) with 0.1-10 MW of installed power, redirect water from small mountainous rivers into several-kilometer-long tubes, disrupting complex dynamics of local aquatic food webs and their interactions with neighbor terrestrial food webs. It certainly affects local aquatic communities, but it is often neglected that two highly threatened vertebrate groups - amphibians and reptiles - which live in and around these wetlands, could be affected as well. In the Balkan peninsula, a part of Southeastern Europe, SDHPPs recently became very attractive and profitable for potential investors after they were proclaimed as eligible for subsidies from the national budget. As a result, in year 2019, the maximal projected number of SHPPs in the Balkans increased to 4,749. According to the literature data, approximately 28% of amphibian species in the Balkan Peninsula use small rivers and streams in the upper parts of watersheds as feeding, breeding and/or nursery habitats. Additionally, 38% of the total number of reptile species in Europe are registered in the hilly/mountainous areas of the peninsula, and 33% of these species strictly need humid habitats. The attempt of this mini-review is to present the facts which show that SHPPs and DSHPPs, in the way they are currently being installed, present harmful energy solution for the biodiversity of the mountain parts of Balkan peninsula, particularly for local amphibian and reptile populations which rely on lotic aquatic ecosystems and/or humid terrestrial habitats.

The contemporary biodiversity crisis strongly impacts two groups of vertebrates: amphibians and reptiles. Amphibians face 40% of assessed species being in threatened IUCN categories, while reptiles are doing little better (34% of selected reptiles, e.g., marine turtles, sea snakes, chameleons, crocodiles and alligators). Adequate population studies are missing for many of those species. Additionally, humans often maintain a negative attitude toward amphibians and reptiles that has induced their continuous persecution, deliberate killing, and habitat destruction. In both vertebrate groups, a number of species synthetize complex substances that have a role in antipredator defense and/or immobilization of prey. For example, amphibian skin contains numerous exocrine glands that produce secretions consisting of many complex compounds. Some species or entire families of reptiles have venomous glands that produce active substances, which are transferred through specialized venomous teeth and (mostly) injected into the organism of a potential predator or prey. The human, medicinal, and commercial value of those natural products are reflected, among others, in their application in pharmacology and medicine. Those substances are the result of millions of years of biological evolution, where evolutionary factors have been fine-tuning their biochemical effects. Here we will focus on four widespread European amphibian species (fire- and yellow-bellied toad, common and green toad) and one reptile species (nose-horned viper) that synthesize active substances, with the goal of pointing out the importance of their conservation, not only because of their role in many ecosystems but also because they represent unique natural laboratories that produce potentially valuable remedies for many health problems.

U ovom radu, prikazujemo ažurirane podatke o distribuciji kompleksa vrsta slepića (Anguis fragilis complex) u Srbiji. Podaci se sastoje iz nalaza objavljenih u literaturi ili na Internetu, zajedno sa prethodno neobjavljenim distribucionim podacima sakupljenim na terenu. Od dve vrste kompleksa prisutne u Srbiji, Anguis fragilis je rasprostranjen u zapadnim i južnim krajevima naše zemlje dok je Anguis colchica prisutan u severoistočnim i istočnim krajevima. U najsevernijim delovima naše zemlje konstatovano je odsustvo obe vrste, zbog nedostatka odgovarajućeg staništa. Nalazi su brojniji u planinsko-kotlinskom regionu i ređi i raštrkaniji u peripanonskom i panonskom regionu, što se delimično može objasniti nesistematskim uzorkovanjem. Lokacija i širina kontaktne zone dve vrste slepića u Srbiji je još uvek nedovoljno poznata. Pretpostavlja se da se pruža duž doline Velike Morave ka jugu a zatim prati granicu između Rodopskog i Karpatsko-Balkanskog planinskog masiva ka jugo-istoku, ali postoje indicije da se hibridna zona nalazi i zapadnije. Postoji izvesno neslaganje, u literaturi, između kontaktne zone predložene na osnovu morfoloških analiza i one predložene na osnovu molekularnih analiza. Ovo ukazuje na potrebu za opsežnijim uzorkovanjem i daljim analizama. Konačno, pošto razdvajanje dve kriptičke vrste slepića do sada nije prepoznato u našoj nomenklaturi, u ovom radu predlažemo zvanične srpske nazive za navedene vrste. Vrsta Anguis fragilis će zadržati standardno srpsko ime "Slepić", dok za vrstu Anguis colchica predlažemo ime "Istočni slepić".

We recorded the movements of adult Eastern Hermann’s tortoises ( Testudo hermanni boettgeri ) in a local population situated in a complex forested habitat system. The average total movement range size (TMRS) calculated over three consecutive years was 4.56 ha and 7.53 ha for males and females, respectively. The largest estimated TMRS of male and female tortoises was 27 ha and 90 ha, respectively. Six females and three males (or 9% and 4%, respectively, of the overall sample) had a movement range size (MRS) greater than 10 ha. Significant differences between male and female MRS were not detected. Body size had no influence on the MRS of individuals in the sample, except on the core movement range size (CMRS) in males. Although the collected data did not enable calculation of the home range in the studied population, the results indicate that the calculated average TMRS of local Hermann tortoises is larger than the average home range in some other populations. Therefore, in the absence of information on the home range size of local adult tortoises, the MRS could be a suitable alternative for planning local species reserves. https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS170217013S Received: February 17, 2017; Revised: April 2, 2017; Accepted: April 19, 2017; Published online: April 28, 2017 How to cite this article: Stojadinovic DM, Cubric T, Milosevic ĐD, Jovanovic BLj, Corovic JV, Paunovic M, Crnobrnja-Isailovic JM. Contribution to the knowledge of spatial movements of adult Hermann’s tortoises. Arch Biol Sci. 2017;69(4):671-7.

The basin of Lake Skadar with its drainage area represents one of the Balkan Peninsula’s hotspots regarding amphibian and reptile fauna. The value of the batracho- and herpetofauna of the Lake Skadar region is reflected in a rich and diverse composition of species. This is undoubtedly the result of the basin’s specific geographic position and complex geological history. Recent studies revealed that Lake Skadar’s watershed is inhabited by 15 amphibian and 36 reptile species. Among these, one amphibian (Pelophylax shqipericus – EN) and two reptile species (Dinarolacerta mosorensis and Vipera ursinii, both VU) are considered to be globally threatened according to IUCN criteria. An additional three reptile species (Emys orbicularis, Testudo hermanni, and Elaphe quatuorlineata) could become threatened in the future. As an attractive tourist area, a significant part of the Lake Skadar region could be impacted by fast and intense anthropogenic changes. Therefore, preserving the network of suitable habitats, maintaining continuous monitoring, and investing in additional research are essential for maintaining this rich local amphibian and reptile diversity. Pešić V, Karaman G, Kostianoy AG, editors. The Skadar/Shkodra Lake Environment. Springer, Cham; 2018. p. 383–414. (The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 80.).

In this study, we present updated distribution data for all three brown frog species (Rana spp.) inhabiting Serbia. The data provided consists of newly collected field records and compiled data previously published in literature or via Internet. Of the three species found in Serbia, Rana dalmatina is the most widespread, present in all three altitudinal regions and all biogeographical regions. Rana graeca is confined to Mountain-valley altitudinal region in permanent fastflowing rivers or streams and it reaches its northern range boundaries in Serbia. Rana temporaria is the rarest of the three, with fragmented range restricted to the high mountains or few isolated lowland populations, and in the north-eastern Serbia, it is vicariant with R. graeca in canyons and gorges of montane rivers. The presence of Rana arvalis in Serbia is mentioned in literature but was not confirmed during the subsequent field surveys, so we consider it only as a potential species for the Serbian batrachofauna. The brown frog faunal composition of Serbia is identical to that of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia and Montenegro, while it is somewhat different from that of Hungary and Romania and the most different from Croatia and Slovenia. Serbian brown frogs belong to European (R. temporaria) and South-European (R. dalmatina, R. graeca) chorotypes. All species of brown frogs present or potentially present in Serbia and their habitats are identified as great conservation priorities.

Considering the need for an up-to-date overview of the distribution and diversity of amphibians of Serbia, we mapped the species distributions upon current, mostly unpublished, faunistic data. Also, we compared batrachofaunas of Serbia and other Balkan countries in terms of species number and zoogeographic batrachofaunistic elements. With its 21 native species (8 urodeles and 13 anurans), Serbia appears to be the second most diverse country in the Balkans. We found three main centres of species richness in Panonnian and Peripannonian Serbia (with 15-17 species per 50 x 50 km square) which signals urgency for their protection. Serbian batrachofauna is most similar to that of the eastern Balkan countries (Bulgaria and Romania). Zoogeographic analysis showed that amphibian fauna of Serbia consists of six chorotypes, with the central-European and southern-European as the most dominant ones.