A new species of the genus Micryletta Dubois, 1987 is described from Yunnan Province, China, based on morphological and molecular analyses. The most obvious differences between the new species and other species of this genus are small body size, unique coloration, and relatively longer hind limbs. In 16S rRNA gene sequences, the new species is diverged from all other congeners by 3.1%–8.0%.

Herein, we report the first observation of two different coloration patterns in Chilean snakes. Based on the alteration of wild coloration patterns, a juvenile specimen of Tachymenis chilensis coronellina Werner, 1898 was diagnosed with albinism and a juvenile specimen of Tachymenis chilensis chilensis (Schlegel, 1837) was diagnosed with leucism. The existence of color variations in wild snake populations

A second observation on the reproduction of Blythia reticulata was based on three eggs found on a forest path among leaf litter and successfully incubated. Given the limited knowledge on the natural history of the species, including its breeding biology, we provide information on egg measurements (n = 3; length = 25.54 ± 1.05 mm; width = 11.79 ± 0.37 mm; weight = 1.94 ± 0.24 g) and the first data on

Among amphibians, conspecific chemical communication has been widely studied in Caudata. Adult anurans, by contrast, have received less attention. Recently, it was shown that chemical scents are also relevant for adult anuran intraspecific communication. In this context, we evaluate whether females of the four-eyed frog (Pleurodema thaul) respond to conspecific male scents. We carried out a double

This study provides distribution data for 12 species of reptiles in the Southern Bug eco-corridor located within the steppe zone, Mykolaiv Oblast (province), Ukraine. We compiled 935 records from published literature (324), from public databases (68), and from 12 field surveys we made in 2016–2020 (543). All records were mapped on to a grid of 10×10 km, representing the 294 cells of the studied area

Gunung Mulu National Park (GMNP) in northwestern Borneo is marked by high species diversity and diverse environments. We present one new amphibian and ten new reptile records from GMNP and its surrounding area. In the records, Asthenodipsas jamilinaisi and Garthius chaseni were newly recorded in the Sarawak State. We also present the first record of Cyrtodactylus muluensis from outside of GMNP and

We report the first country record of Calotes irawadi, identified previously as C. versicolor, from China based on four specimens collected from Tongbiguan Nature Reserve, Western Yunnan, China. Morphologically, the specimens show good agreement with the original description of C. irawadi, and phylogenetically clustered with specimens (including holotype) of C. irawadi from Myanmar with strong support

Two species of rock lizards, the parthenogenetic D. dahli and the sexually reproducing D. portschinskii, coexist in a rocky outcrop in an area of ca. 1 ha, in the vicinity of Tbilisi, Georgia; the location has been well-known since the middle 1960s. The population density of the parthenogenetic lizard is five times higher than that of the sexual breeder. We studied the distribution of active lizards

Proportions between pairs of digits are linked to fitness in tetrapods and they can be influenced by sex hormones through individuals’ ontogenies. Therefore, in many species, the proportions amongst finger length ratios (referred as digit ratio, i.e. 2D second and 4D fourth digits) can differ between males and females. We investigated whether the three most commonly used forelimb digit ratios are sexually

Life at high altitudes is particularly challenging for ectothermic animals like reptiles and involves the evolution of specialised adaptations to deal with low temperatures, hypoxia and intense UV radiation. As a result, only very few reptile taxa are able to survive above 5,000 m elevation and herpetological observations from these altitudes are exceedingly rare. We report here an exceptional observation

A case of Oligodon ocellatus eating a toxic adult toad, Duttaphrynus melanostictus, in Cat Tien National Park, southern Vietnam, is provided. We found a kukri snake having buried its head deeply into the abdomen of the toad and probably being in the process of eating organs. Subsequently, the toad was swallowed whole and the kukri snake moved away and disappeared with the toad’s hind feet still visible

Predation on adult microhylid frogs Kaloula pulchra by two closely-related colubrid snakes is described, based on two observations of Oligodon formosanus in Hong Kong and one observation of O. fasciolatus in Thailand. In two instances, O. formosanus was observed cutting open the abdomen of this anuran species. In one case, it performed repeated rotations about its own longitudinal body axis (“death

Roberts’ False Brook Salamander (Pseudoeurycea robertsi) is a critically endangered plethodontid salamander, endemic to the Nevado de Toluca Volcano (NTV), Mexico. Little is known about the biology and ecology of this species, including its microhabitats. Thus, this study aimed to collect basic information about P. robertsi. We sampled fourteen forested sites in the NTV; to corroborate the correct

Understanding population dynamics is vital in amphibian conservation. To compare demography and movements, we conducted a capture-recapture study over three spring seasons in two populations of Salamandra salamandra in the Vienna Woods. The study sites differ in topography, vegetation, and the type of breeding waters. Population density in a beech forest traversed by a stream was more than twice as

Oligodon hamptoni is a rare species of Kukri Snake known from only two specimens, both collected nearly a century ago in northern Myanmar. Here, we report the third record of this species based on a photograph taken in Mt. Gaoligongshan, Tengchong City, Yunnan Province, China, approximately 235 km northeast of the nearest record in Bhamo District, Kachin State, Myanmar. We also provide a detailed redescription

Terrestrial reptiles are threatened by numerous anthropogenic activities, including agriculture. Many agricultural methods and techniques affect the herpetofauna located in the oldest known tree crops in the Mediterranean Basin, olive trees. For the first time, we present a case of unintentional capture (and killing) of 12 snake-eyed skinks Ablepharus kitaibelii (Bibron & Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1833)

Although the insular distribution of the rich herpetofauna of Greece has been studied more extensively, the mainland one is still underexplored. The region of Attica in central Greece represents one of these “black spots” in the mainland. Thus, in 2019 we surveyed for the first time the herpetofauna of Attica in a systematic way. We collected 794 field records of 31 species (4 amphibians, 27 reptiles);

Color aberrations in salamanders are caused by defective chromatophores or by disrupted synthesis of the pigments, and have been previously reported in Europe. In this paper we report the first case of leucism in a fire salamander larva from a cave-dwelling population in Romania. The leucistic larva was larger and heavier compared to the other larvae from the same breeding habitat.

We report the first country record of Rhacophorus verrucopus Huang, 1983 from Myanmar, based on one specimen collected from Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary, Sagaing Division. Morphologically, the specimen shows good agreement with the original description of R. verrucopus and phylogenetically, it is clustered with the specimen of R. verrucopus from Medog, Tibet, China with strong support. This is also

The first overview of the amphibians and reptiles of Dugi Otok Island, Northern Dalmatia, is presented, based on the published data and new records collected during the last twenty years. A total of 15 species are present on the island, of which only one was not recorded on our surveys. In comparison to other islands of Northern Dalmatia, Dugi Otok is the second most diverse island in terms of herpetofauna

We record Zhangixalus franki Li, Jiang, Ren & Jiang, 2019 for the first time from China based on two specimens collected from Laoshan Nature Reserve, Yunnan Province. Morphologically, the newly collected specimens from China mostly agree with the type series from Vietnam. Phylogenetically, these individuals were placed in a clade with Z. franki from Vietnam based on DNA sequences of the mitochondrial

Mexico is home to 18 species of salamanders in the family Ambystomidae. Endangered Ambystoma altamirani Dugès, 1895 is a flagship species for the Lagos de Zempoala National Park (LZNP) in central Mexico, a protected area subject to numerous anthropogenic threats. Ambystoma altamirani populations in the Park have been little studied. In 2016–2017, we surveyed four streams where populations of the species

We studied the relationship between the geographic distribution of the Pallas’ spadefoot (Pelobates vespertinus) and the soil temperature regime at the eastern boundary of this species’ range (south-western West Siberia and northwest Kazakhstan). This species overwinters underground, burrowing down to 1.5 m or deeper and has poor frost tolerance – it is unable to withstand temperatures below 0 °C,

Different snake species may be active at various times of the day. In Europe, most snake species are predominantly diurnal, but about a third are partially or principally crepuscular and/or nocturnal. Here, we report the first instance of multiple in situ observations of the crepuscular and nocturnal activity of V. ammodytes in Bulgaria. Overall, usually as a result of general herpetological surveys

A hitherto unknown feeding mode among snakes is described for the colubrid snake Oligodon fasciolatus in Northeast Thailand. Three cases of O. fasciolatus using enlarged posterior maxillary teeth to cut open the abdomen of a live poisonous toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus and eat its organs are described. The snakes and toads fought vigorously, and the toads secreted toxic white liquid on the dorsum

The genus Microgecko Nikolskii, 1907 (Gekkonidae) currently includes eight species distributed from western Iran to north-western India and Pakistan. During field research in Iraq, we found a population of the genus near to the Darbandikhan Lake in the north-eastern part of the country. Because members of the genus are characterized by a higher level of morphological and genetic diversity, we investigated

Research on navigation in animals is hampered by conflicting results and failed replications. In order to assess the generality of previous results, male Bufo bufo were collected during their breeding migration and translocated to two testing sites, 2.4 and 2.9 km away, respectively, from their breeding pond in the north of Vienna (Austria). There each toad was tested twice for orientation responses

Clutch size and number of clutches per reproductive cycle are important life history traits that can be influenced by anatomical, physiological, evolutionary, and ecological factors. This report on the clutch size and number of clutches of an endemic Mexican whiptail lizard, Aspidoscelis costatus costatus (Cope, 1878), is based on a study of population at an unusually high elevation for a member of

In Chile, the presence of Mourning Gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris Duméril & Bibron, 1836 has been recognized for Easter Island (Rapa Nui) from late 19th century. Here, we report the first observation of a juvenile specimen of L. lugubris in an urban zone of Santiago, Región Metropolitana, mainland Chile, representing the southernmost non-insular record in America for this invasive species. Moreover

Two previously known northernmost localities of Sharp-snouted rock lizard in Montenegro were the entrance of the Komarnica Canyon (Nevidio), and the middle part of the Tara River Canyon (village Tepca). It was presumed that Komarnica and Piva canyons were once corridors for the spreading of this species from the Eastern Adriatic sub-Mediterranean area to the Tara River Canyon in the north. However

Between December 2015 and December 2017 a total of 63 sea turtles were recorded as being stranded along the Algerian coast. The loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta was the most commonly stranded species (n = 44) (69.8%), followed by the leatherback Dermochelys coriacea (n = 18) (28.6%) and the green turtle Chelonia mydas (n = 1). There was a slight dominance of the adult size class for stranded loggerhead

Information on species richness and community structure is invaluable for guiding conservation and management of biodiversity, but is rarely available in the megadiverse biodiversity conservation hotspot of Philippines – particularly for amphibians and reptiles. This study provides the first report and characterisation of amphibians and reptile communities across primary habitat types of the Victoria-Anepahan

The phylogenetic relationships and possible origin of a putative non-native population of Podarcis muralis in Ukraine were assessed based on sequences of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Ukrainian lizards belong to two distinct mitochondrial lineages (haplogroups), both occurring within the Central Balkan clade, which includes most of central and south-eastern

We analysed several morphological characters of 84 road-killed D. caspius individuals from different areas of southern Romania. Most presented asymmetries in the total number of temporal scales, the temporal row and the periocular and labial scales. Almost a quarter of snakes had scars, located especially on the head and tail; many individuals had multiple injuries. The lowest rate of individuals with

The southwestern part of the Balochistan Province is a faunal extension of the Iranian Plateau in Pakistan, harboring more than one-third of Pakistan’s known amphibian and reptile species. We carried out field visits in five districts of southwestern Balochistan during 2013–2017 to investigate the scale and hotspots of reptile poaching. We encountered 73 illegal collectors possessing 5,369 live reptiles

We report recent observations, two new locality records and an updated overview of the distribution of Dopasia buettikoferi (Lidth de Jeude, 1905) from Borneo, as well as photographic documentation of this species showing colouration and patterns in living individuals and the holotype. This note represents the first complete compilation of distributional knowledge of this rarely-encountered member

The poorly known semi-fossorial snake Blythia reticulata is a small, oviparous, worm-eating species found in northeastern India and neighboring countries. Here we report on multiple new distribution localities that extend the known geographic range of the species. In addition, we provide new information on the reproductive biology of the species based on egg-laying behavior data from a captive gravid

Information on demographic and life-history traits of endangered vertebrate species, such as sea turtles, is crucial for planning management and conservation actions. We applied skeletochronology of phalanges to estimate the age of loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, found dead stranded along the beaches of Campania (western Mediterranean) from 2013 to 2017. To obtain maturity data, we examined gonads

It is shown that the location data for the terra typica restricta of Testudo graeca and for the terra typica designata for Testudo graeca are based on an incorrectly assigned location. In fact, the original place corresponds to Santa Cruz, known today as Agadir (Morocco) and not the old Spanish fortress of Santa Cruz near Oran in Algeria. Accordingly, populations of Testudo graeca from the Agadir environment

This study presents the first molecular evidence of Macrovipera razii from central Zagros, more than 300 km north-west of its prior records in southern Iran. Molecular analyses based on mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences identified the individuals from central Zagros as a lineage of M. razii. Specimens from the new localities are separated by a genetic distance of 1.46% from the known populations

Acoustic species recognition in anurans depends on spectral and temporal characteristics of the advertisement call. The recognition space of a species is shaped by the likelihood of heterospecific acoustic interference. The dendrobatid frogs Allobates talamancae (Cope, 1875) and Silverstoneia flotator (Dunn, 1931) occur syntopically in south-west Costa Rica. A previous study showed that these two species