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In this study, we conducted an inventory of amphibians and reptiles between 2013 and 2016 in the Gediz Delta (İzmir, Turkey). The field results were combined with existing records. According to the data obtained, a total of 35 herptile species live in the region, comprising 7 amphibians (2 urodeles, 5 anurans) and 28 reptiles (6 chelonians, 10 lizards and 12 snakes). Five species (Lissotriton vulgaris, Triturus ivanbureschi, Heremites auratus, Platyceps collaris and Telecopus fallax) were recorded for the first time in the Gediz Delta during the study. A chorotype classification and potential threats of the species are also presented.

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Notes on Rhodian herpetology. It is well known that the terrestrial herpetofauna of Rhodes is composed by 22 taxa. Of these, 15 have been found by the author; of the other seven, two are probably absent from the island (Pseudopus apodus and Natrix tessellata). As regards the Lizards, it has been observed, among other things, how Mabuya aurata shares its habitat with Lacerta oertzeni (occupying however the lower levels); Mabuya appears also to emarginate Chalcides ocellatus. Among the ophidian species, a particular emphasis has been given to Dolichophis jugularis. Of this colubrid various aspects, both morphological and biological, have been considered. Compared with the males of the island of Kos, described in a previous article, the Rhodian males show a different head morphology, a lower number of ventral scales and a lower intensity of colouring. When adult, they are characterized by dorsal melanosis and ventral yellow-red colouring. The degree of darkening seems to depend in small measure on the age and much on individual factors; a correlation between the dorsal and ventral chromatic variability seems to be lacking. Dolichophis jugularis appeared much bound to lentisk shrubs, where it took shelter when menaced. As in Kos, also in Rhodes it appeared to make use of pathways to track down a partner. In the last paragraph, the author assumes the possibility that this snake may perform a certain selection pressure on the ophidian community of the island, contributing to the rarefaction of some snakes. We finally inform that Zamenis situla is still present, since nearly a century, in the surroundings of the village of Agios Isidoros.

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Results of herpetological researches in the area of Marmaris (SW Turkey). The present contribution reports the results of herpetological researches carried out in the area of Marmaris (Mügla province, SW Turkey). Main aim of the researches was to study local populations of Dolichophis jugularis. These resulted to be morphologically similar to those of northern Dodecanese (Leros and Kos). However, some differences were observed in their trophic spectrum, probably due to a different complexity in the ecosystems; month of the year (May), sex and size being equal, the fundamental sauro-theriophagy of the Dodecanese populations changed into the pure ophiophagy of the Turkish specimens. Analysing faeces and ingesta, all snakes preyed on by Dolichophis jugularis had carinate scales, characteristic which in that area (Gökçe) involves Natrix spp. and Montivipera xanthina; the latter seemed also to be strictly syntopical with the colubrid. Additionally, the author records four specimens of Platyceps collaris; the fact that three of them had 17 dorsal scales at mid-body while the species generally has 19 (very rarely 21) is noteworthy. Lastly, contrary to the expectations, Montivipera xanthina resulted morphologically fairly similar to the northern populations.

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The Greek lizard fauna consists of 26 species from which 5 are monotypic and the other ones are represented by a total of 86 subspecies. Five species and 61 subspecies are endemic of Greece. A checklist including the geographical distribution of each taxon in the Greek region is presented.

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Lacerta pamphylica and Lacerta trilineata are two currently recognized green lizard species with a historically problematic taxonomy. In cases of tangled phylogenies, next‐generation sequencing and double‐digest restriction‐site‐associated DNA protocols can provide a wealth of genomic data and resolve difficult taxonomic issues. Here, we generated genome‐wide SNPs and mitochondrial sequences, and applied molecular species delimitation approaches to provide a stable taxonomy for the Aegean green lizards. Mitochondrial gene trees, genetic cluster delimitation and population structure analyses converged into recognizing the populations of (a) L. pamphylica, (b) east Aegean islands, Anatolia and Thrace (diplochondrodes lineage), (c) central Aegean islands (citrovittata), and (d) remaining Balkan populations and islands (trilineata), as separate clusters. Phylogenomic analyses revealed a split into two major clades, east and west of the Aegean Barrier, unambiguously showing a sister–clade relationship between pamphylica and diplochondrodes, rendering L. trilineata paraphyletic. Species delimitation models were tested in a Bayesian framework using the genomic SNPs: lumping all populations into a single ‘species’ had the lowest likelihood but the current taxonomy was also outperformed by all other models. All lines of evidence support the Pamphylian green lizard as a valid species; thus, east Aegean L. trilineata should also be considered a distinct species under the name Lacerta diplochondrodes. Finally, evidence from the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes is overwhelmingly in favour of recognizing the morphologically distinct Cycladian green lizards as a distinct species. We propose their elevation to full species under the name Lacerta citrovittata. All remaining insular and continental populations of the Balkan Peninsula represent the species L. trilineata.

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Die beiden Arten der Gattung Lacerta auf Rhodos werden durch endemische Rassen vertreten: Lacerta trilineata durch diplodtondrodes, Lacerta dantfordi durch pelasgiana n. subsp. Von diplochondrodes wird das eigenartige zwei- bzw. vier- streifige Jugendkleid beschrieben, das bisher kaum von Lacerta trilineata und erst recht nicht von der verwandten Lacerta strigata bekannt war. Die bisher bald als dantfordi, anatolica oder oertzeri bezeichnete pelasgiana wird in die nächste Verwandtsdraft der typischen danfordi vom Cilicischen Taurus sowie von oertzeni aus Nikaria gestellt.

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1. A revision of Anatolian L. trilineata reveals its subdivision into three species: The western L. trilineata BEDRIAGA, 1886 (comprising in Anatolia the two subspecies- groupings cariensis and diplochondrodes), the eastern L. media LANTZ & CYREN, 1920 (comprising the subspecies L. m. (m.) media - probably subdivided into further „minor subspecies` - L. m. (i.) isaurica, L. m. (i.) ciliciensis, L. m. (w.) wolterstorffi, L. m. (w.) israelica) and L. pamphylica SCHMIDTLER, 1975; the latter being endemic and allopatric in Southern Central Anatolia. Probably these three species are equally related with each other, with the L. viridis-strigata-complex and possibly also with L. agilis. In Green Lizards generally the degree of specific differentiation is weil indicated by the degree of pholidotic differentiation. 2. In the intrapontic transversal valleys of Arav and Gök-rivers (West Pontus-Subregion) three species of Green Lizards prove to be ecological indicator-species of the three main vegetation-zones and herpetocoenoses: - Mediterranean-intrapontic vegetation-zone (Pinus halepensis; 300-600 m): L. m. me- dia and the reptiles Ophisops elegans, Coluber caspius, Mauremys caspica, Testudo graeca; the amphibians Bufo viridis, Hyla arborea, Rana ridibunda. - Supramediterranean-prepontic vegetation-zone (Pinus nigra; 600-1000 m): L. triline- ata galatiensis and the reptiles Lacerta parva, Podarcis muralis, Emys orbicularis, Testudo graeca and, additionally to the above mentioned amphibians: Rana macrocnemis. - Moderate-euxinic vegetation-zone (Pinus silvestris; 1000-1500 m): L. viridis paphla- gonica and the reptiles Lacerta cf. rudis, Podarcis muralis, Coronella austriaca; the amphibi- ans Triturus vittatus, Bufo bufo, Hyla arborea, Rana ridibunda and R. macrocnemis.