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Vorliegende Arbeit basiert auf regelmäßigen Beobachtungen während meiner Schülerzeit. Mit ihr soll ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Zauneidechse und zur Popularisierung ihres Schutzes geleistet werden.

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The genus Gallotia is an endemic lizard clade from the volcanic archipelago of the Canary Islands (Spain). This clade has five extant and extinct giant species distributed over just five islands in the archipelago: El Hierro, La Gomera, La Palma, Tenerife and Gran Canaria. On the island of El Hierro, remains of several giant species of Gallotia have been found. In this paper, we present a revision and description of the bones from El Hierro with similar osteological characteristics to the giant species from Tenerife, Gallotia goliath. The fossil remains of 24 individuals have been found in volcanic tubes of a Chibanian/upper Pleistocene-Holocene age (Quaternary). These remains confirm the presence of the species Gallotia goliath on the island of El Hierro and provide the first evidence of the possible coexistence of two giant fossil species of Gallotia on the same island. The existence of individuals of Gallotia goliath would imply on the one hand dietary specialization each giant species. On the other hand, it would suggest the transfer of non-flying species between islands raising the possibility that the great landslides of the Quaternary may have played an important role in inter-island migrations.

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Nachdem die Zauneidechsen-Population auf dem Friedhof in Ostbevern-Brock 2007 bis 2009 erstmalig intensiv untersucht wurde, folgte 2025 eine erneute Untersuchung. Es wurden bei 14 Begehungen insgesamt 54 Zauneidechsen dokumentiert. Anhand fotografischer Wiedererkennung konnten 20 unterschiedliche Individuen (15 Weibchen, 5 Männchen) identifiziert werden. Die Populationsgröße wurde mit der Petersen- Methode auf etwa 25 Individuen und mit der Chapman-Methode auf etwa 20 Individuen geschätzt. Im Vergleich zu den Jahren 2007-2009 ist ein Rückgang der Individuenzahlen erkennbar, doch dürfte dies vor allem auf die kürzere Untersuchungsperiode zurückzuführen sein. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der Friedhof weiterhin ein wertvoller Lebensraum mit guten Fortpflanzungsbedingungen für die Art ist. Zur langfristigen Sicherung der Population werden die Erhaltung strukturreicher Randbereiche und die Förderung von Kleinstrukturen und Eiablageplätzen empfohlen. Durch die isolierte Lage der Population wird eine Vernetzung zvr bestehenden Population an der etwa 2,0 km entfernten Bahntrasse als sinnvoll gesehen. Als mögliche Routen zur Bahntrasse wurden zwei Wanderkorridore identifiziert und näher beschrieben.

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We present a genome assembly from an individual male Podarcis cretensis (the Cretan wall lizard; Chordata; Lepidosauria; Squamata; Lacertidae). The genome sequence is 1,507.6 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 19 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 17.09 kilobases in length.

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Anatomical and morphological features of the postcranial skeleton of nine rock lizard taxa of the genus Darevskia Arribas, 1999 belonging to Darevskia (superspecies praticola) and Darevskia (superspecies rudis) were studied based on representative samples. The study involved type specimens, topotypes, and collections made as close as possible to their type localities. A comparison was made between the complexes within Darevskia and the taxa within them. Also, the postcranial skeleton of D. caucasica vedenica sample from Dagestan and the recently de- scribed species D. arribasi were studied. According to our data, D. pontica and D. praticola differ in the lower limit of the number of presacral vertebrae, the occurrence of B-type caudal vertebrae, the oval type of the sternal fontanelle, and the closed type of the clavicles; D. r. obscura differs from other representatives of Darevskia (rudis) in the lower limits of the number of presacral vertebrae. The following anomalies were found in the studied sample: asymmetric structure of the ribs and/or transverse processes of the vertebrae; reduction of the ribs; anoma- lies of the Sternal/xiphisternal costal formula; fusion, increase in the number, or reduction of the vertebrae. Anom- alies were found most often in representatives of Darevskia (rudis). The greatest diversity of anomalies was, how- ever, observed among the representatives of Darevskia (praticola). A Graminilacerta subgen. nov. is described, which differs from other subgenera of Caucasian rock lizards in a set of morphological features, ecology and range.

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Representatives of the Darevskia (superspecies praticola) have been discovered in the North Caucasus, and these new finds have been analysed. The discovery of Darevskia pontica in Svetly village (Stavropol Krai) suggests that its range is expanding. The northern boundary can be defined by a line running from Staroshcherbinovskaya village to the vicinity of Sonino village, then to the vicinity of Otradovka village, then to the vicinity of Storozhi Vtoroye village, then to Vostochny Sosyk village, then to Svetly settlement, then to Stavropol city. Previously, only D. praticola was known in the Kislovodsk area, although D. pontica was recorded nearby. The new data enable us to identify the area where the ranges of the Pontic lizard and the Meadow lizard overlap in the northern spurs of the Borgustansky Ridge, between the villages of Borgustanskaya and Yasnaya Polyana, in the interfluve of the Bolshoy Essentuchok and Bugunta rivers.

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Reptiles are unable to generate metabolic heat and regulate body temperature behaviorally depending on environmental conditions. The thermal quality of their habitat is therefore of pivotal importance for their survival. Lizards render themselves as ideal ectothermic models, and their thermal biology has been extensively studied. In this work, we focused on the thermoregulatory performance of the endemic Milos wall lizard (Podarcis milensis) (Milos Archipelago, Aegean Sea, Greece). Applying the same standard methodology, we estimated the effectiveness of thermoregulation (E) taking into account the three main thermal parameters: body (Tb, the temperature of active animals in the field), environmental (Te, the temperature that animals would achieve in the field if passively conform to the environment) and preferred temperatures (Tpref, the temperatures an animal achieves in a laboratory thermal gradient). Here, we compare the thermoregulatory profile of two remote rocky islet populations, Falconera and Velopoula, with the Milos Island population. We collected Tb values from active lizards as well as Te from specially designed copper models, which were appropriately placed in the field so as to cover all possible microhabitats. Lizards were then transported to the laboratory where we assessed their Tprefs. Falconera and Velopoula populations showed the same high thermoregulatory effectiveness as that of Milos Island (EFalconera = 0.97, EVelopoula = 0.95, EMilos = 0.89). However, when we used an alternative evaluation of the thermoregulatory strategy, the E values outlined a much more effective thermoregulation for the islets: de-dbFalconera = 6.97, de-dbVelopoula = 11.54, de-dbMilos = 4.27. The adverse conditions on the islets outline a demanding habitat of low thermal quality that dictates effective thermoregulation. However, the trend of increasing temperatures depicts an even harsher environment for the years to come. Could lizards that have already achieved the highest thermoregulatory effectiveness and cannot escape from the isolated islets they dwell cope with these new conditions? This is the kind of questions to which conservation biology will be called upon to respond.

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This paper describes the preparation of flow-sorted chromosome paints from the Iberian Rock lizard Iberolacerta monticola, exemplifying their subsequent use in cross-species comparisons of chromosome painting. We carried out comparative analyses of chromosome evolution in the congeneric species I. galani and I. bonnali, as well as in two other species of Lacertini (Lacerta schreiberi and Timon lepidus) whose sex chromosomes were also studied through comparative genomic hybridization. Most species of Lacertini possess a diplod number of 2n = 38, with 36 acrocentric macrochromosomes and 2 microchromosomes. However, the nine species included in the genus Iberolacerta do not possess microchromosomes. Furthermore, very conspicuous differences from the standard Lacertini karyotype were observed in the three Pyrenean species of this genus, which included several biarmed metacentrics and a Z1Z2W multiple sex-chromosome system. With the possible exception of L. schreiberi, all the species of the family Lacertidae described to date appear to share homologous Z chromosomes, which date back to the last common ancestor of the whole group. We provide conclusive evidence that L. schreiberi should no longer be considered an exception to this rule, and demonstrate that the loss of microchromosomes in Iberolacerta was produced by their fusion to a middle-sized chromosome. Furthermore, we show that the multiple sex-chromosome system of the Pyrenean species of Iberolacerta originated from the fusion of the ancestral W chromosome with one of the shortest autosomes, and provide additional evidence of the fast evolution of DNA sequences linked to the W chromosome in Lacertini.

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Coloration plays a crucial role in sexual selection. Stejneger`s grass lizard (Takydromus stejnegeri) exhibits a diverse range of body colorations, including complex combinations of green or brown and striped or non-striped patterns in both sexes. In order to clarify the relationships among the variation of body coloration, body condition, and mate preference, we conducted a capture-mark-recapture survey in the wild and mate choice experiments in the laboratory. Analysis of data from 2,497 marked individuals revealed that adult females typically exhibit green patches on their sides, whereas adult males tend to display white stripes on their backs during the breeding season. These colorations did not correlate with their body condition. In the mate choice experiments, we found that green females preferred green males, while brown females preferred brown males. Conversely, males did not demonstrate a significant preference for both colors. Our findings suggest that the varied colorations of T. stejnegeri are influenced by life stage, sexual maturity, and potentially linked to assortative female choice.

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A sympatric distribution of six lacertid lizards, the highest in Bulgaria, is found in a very small area in the northeastern part of Rhodopi mountain. In the study area the lizards occurred in different species combinations. Niche segregation was obtained by studying species’ habitat selection, ecological demands and the ethological differences between them. The data for the altitude preferences of O. elegans contrasts to the previously known one for country. P. muralis is found to be a typical forests dweller. L. viridis is presented by two subspecies with relatively broad contact zone.

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Whether the complex colour polymorphisms of lizards are governed by rigid genetic control or by the type of phenotypic plasticity recently discovered in side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana ) remains a critical question for understanding the maintenance of these systems. In this study, we utilized a four-year capture-recapture dataset to investigate if adult common wall lizards (P odar cis mur alis ) exhibit similar plastic transitions or follow a xed developmental program. Using standardized digital photography and Residual Randomization Permutation Procedures (RRPP), we quantied Hue and Saturation variation across 167 adult individuals (216 transition events). Our results reveal an exceptional degree of categorical stability, with 97.7% of individuals retaining their discrete colour morph among captures; the rare transitions observed were exclusively unidirectional, involving initially white individuals acquiring pigmentation. While individual identity accounted for over 45% of the spectral variance, low repeatability coecients (ICCs < 0.13) indicate high intra-morph chromatic uniformity. Phenotypic trajectory analysis demonstrated that as individuals grow, morphs signicantly diverge in both colour intensity and direction. Notably, the yellow morph follows a unique, morph- specic maturation path, suggesting a canalized developmental program that enhances signal clarity with age. Unlike the reversible hormonal plasticity documented in U. stansburiana , the P . mur alis system appears driven by a xed ontogenetic commitment. These ndings suggest that this polymorphism is maintained by a robust genetic architecture where adult maturation might serve to minimize cross-talk among socio-sexual signals, highlighting the analysis of adult ontogenetic trajectories as a vital practical tool for deciphering the evolution of complex biological polymorphisms.

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1.Understanding the genomic basis of adaptation to different abiotic environments is important in the context of climate change and resulting short-term fluctuations. 2. Using functional and comparative genomics approaches, we here investigated whether signatures of genomic adaptation to a set of environmental parameters are concentrated in specific subsets of genes and functions in lacertid lizards and other vertebrates. 3. We first identify 200 genes with signatures of positive diversifying selection from transcriptomes of 24 species of lacertid lizards and demonstrate their involvement in physiological and morphological adaptations to climate. To understand how functionally similar these genes are to previously predicted candidate functions for climate adaptation and to compare them with other vertebrate species, we then performed a meta-analysis of 1,100 genes under selection obtained from –omics studies in vertebrate species adapted to different abiotic factors. 4. We found that the vertebrate gene set formed a tightly connected interactome, which was to 23% enriched in previously predicted functions of adaptation to climate, and to a large part (18%) involved in organismal stress response. We found a much higher degree of identical genes being repeatedly selected among different animal groups (43.6%), and of functional similarity and post-translational modifications than expected by chance, and no clear functional division between genes used for ectotherm and endotherm physiological strategies. In total, 171 out of 200 genes of Lacertidae were part of this network. 5. These results highlight an important role of a comparatively small set of genes and their functions in environmental adaptation and narrow the set of candidate pathways and markers to be used in future research on adaptation and stress response related to climate change.

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The diversity of lizards in the northeast Indian biodiversity hotspot is underestimated, as evidenced by many new species recorded in recent years. Here, we describe a new species of Takydromus from Ultapani, Kokrajhar District, Assam, India. This newly identified species is distinguished from its relatives in its distinctive morphological features and significant genetic variation in the mitochondrial 12S rRNA and COI genes. We have also added the missing molecular data for T. sikkimensis and T. khasiensis. In the light of these new data, we discuss the phylogenetic relationships of Takydromus species from the Indian subcontinent with their congeners.

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We studied the daily activity patterns of Dinarolacerta rock lizards, endemic to the Dinaric mountains of the Western Balkans, during the summer season. The study was conducted in Montenegro at four sites for D. mosorensis and three sites for D. montenegrina. The air temperature at which the lizards were observed varied significantly both within and between species and decreased with altitude, while the temperature of the rocky ground was more stable and higher than the air temperature at each study site. Males and females of both species displayed similar activity patterns, while immature individuals tended to be active when most of the adults were basking. In the single low-altitude population of D. mosorensis in the river canyon, all adults were observed at midday and a majority of them were active, whereas in all other mountain populations studied, adults were observed both in the morning and at midday and a majority of them were basking. Dinarolacerta lizards showed a unimodal pattern of daily activity. Individuals were most frequently observed in the morning and midday and rarely in the afternoon. They mostly stayed in full sun on the slope or on top of rocks, and only a small percentage were inactive (hiding in crevices or in the shade). The exposure of the occupied rock surface was very heterogeneous within the samples for both adults and immature individuals. There were no consistent differences in daily activity patterns between the two Dinarolacerta species, and the differences found between some populations both within and between species were more likely to reflect certain microclimatic and microhabitat characteristics at specific sites.

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Spatial memory is a fundamental cognitive process that allows animals to navigate and interact with their environment effectively. While extensively studied in mammals and birds, the mechanisms underlying spatial cognition in reptiles remain less understood. In this study, we investigated spatial learning and the influence of behavioural lateralization in the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis). We examined whether lizards could develop short-term spatial memory and whether lateralization affected their navigation in a complex maze. Experimental lizards received 3 days of training without reinforcement, while control lizards had no prior experience. We found that trained lizards learnt to navigate the maze rapidly, reaching a goal shelter faster and more reliably than controls. Additionally, strongly lateralized individuals took longer to reach the goal during training, but this did not impair escape performance once the route had been learned. Our study reports novel evidence on the role of lateralization during spatial exploration in lizards. Lateralization is hypothesized to enhance information processing, but our data suggest no benefit or cost of lateralization after a route was learnt. Our study contributes to a broader understanding of cognitive evolution across vertebrates and emphasizes the importance of reptiles as models for comparative cognition research.

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A major problem in current biomechanical literature is the extent to which in silico data can be validated by in vivo data across taxonomic scales. Despite frequent incongruence between in silico and in vivo data gained from precisely the same individual, biologists and palaeontologists continue to publish in silico data of single bones intended to represent entire species. Here, we aim to bridge this gap by investigating whether jaw morphology alone can be used to validate biomechanical models on the intraspecific level in a phenotypically diverse lizard, Podarcis pityusensis. We tested this by investigating how effectively in vivo bite force measurements from eight populations of this species are predicted by biomechanical models. We used alcohol-preserved specimens from each location to generate population-average and male-average morphologies of mandibles and dentaries, from which we calculated mechanical advantage as well as strength estimates from finite element analysis. Overall, we found a general lack of population-level correlation between in vivo and in silico data; however, strength estimates from finite element analysis did follow the same bite∼size relationship as in vivo bite, suggesting that biomechanical analysis of even a single bone can produce useful bite force estimates. We encourage researchers to create in silico models with maximally complex shape data and caution that intraspecific variation is a crucial aspect of in vivo and in silico biomechanics.

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Podarcis muralis (Laurenti, 1768), our native wall lizard, is a legally protected, important element of the fauna of southwest Germany’s cultural landscape. Recently, population increases have been observed in some areas and new populations in others. This is due to climate change, but also to anthropogenic dispersal and the provision of dispersal corridors (traffic routes). The appearance of apparently non-native specimens or populations gives rise to a critical and controversial debate among some conservationists. This article provides a summary overview of the legal provisions on wall lizard conservation, and of the species’ ecology and taxonomy. Finally, the authors make pragmatic recommendations for dealing with this species that is worthy of protection.

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The herpetofauna of nine Saudi Arabian islands in the Arabian Gulf was studied. A total of 20 species of amphibians and reptiles within 12 families was reported. The number of species per island ranged from one in four islands to 11 in Tarout Island and tended to increase with island area. The colonization of species was made possible by human introduction, especially of geckos. A clas-sification based on species presence/absence data ranked the islands according to their similarity, geographical location, size, and human use, which influenced reptile communities. A comparison between the reptiles on other islands belonging to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Iran in the Arabian Gulf was also presented.

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Previous phylogeographic assessments within species of the lacertid genus Ophisops have consistently revealed high levels of genetic diversity, suggestive of multiple cryptic species complexes. The snake-eyed lizard Ophisops elegans, endemic to the Mediterranean region and Central Asia, is no exception, although specimens of the North African endemic Ophisops occidentalis from Libya were not distinct from sympatric O. elegans individuals based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers. However, the most westerly populations of these two species from Morocco and Algeria were not assessed. Here, we analyzed partial 16S rRNA mtDNA sequences and partial MC1R nuclear sequences from Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia for comparison with previously published data. Our estimates of relationships based on both markers support the hypothesis that all North African populations form a clade, consistent with an east-to-west colonization pattern across this region. Additional mtDNA sublineages were identified, further highlighting genetic diversity in remote areas. While the genetic data indicate that a single species should be recognized in North Africa, high diversity within O. elegans across the remainder of its range still requires further investigation prior to a taxonomic revision differentiating taxa within this species complex.