A new finding of Rhynchocalamus barani, Baran’s black-headed dwarf snake (Reptilia, Colubridae), in the Mediterranean region of Turkey widens its distribution range

Rhynchocalamus barani Olgun, Avcı, Ilgaz, Üzüm and Yılmaz, 2007 is a small colubrid snake previously known only from the type locality, 34 km east of Dört-yol, Hatay Province from Mediterranean Region of Turkey. A second new locality, Yayladağı, Hatay, Turkey, is reported here in the Mediterranean region of Turkey in this study. The new specimen corresponds fully in morphology, colouration and body scalation with specimens from the type locality

Helminth fauna of Lebanon lizard, Phoenicolacerta laevis (Gray, 1838), (Squamata: Lacertidae) from Southern Turkey

In the years 2010 and 2014, fifty-four samples of Phoenicolacerta laevis from eight localities in Adana (n=6) and Hatay (n=48) were collected and examined for helminth parasites. New host and locality records were recorded. As a results of present study, three species of Digenea, Sonsinotrema tacapense, Prosthodendrium chilostomum, Brachylaima sp. (metacercaria); two species of Cestoda, Oochoristica tuberculata and Mesocestoides sp. and four species of Nematoda, Skrjabinodon medinae, Spauligodon sp., Thubunaea sp. and a larva of the Ascaridiidae Ascarididae gen. sp. were reported for lizard samples. We document new host records for all of helminth species reported here. Sonsionotrema tacapense (Digenea), and Thubunaea sp. (Nematoda) are recorded for the first time from Turkey. There are, to our knowledge, no reports of helminths for P. laevis in Turkey and also from its range

A skeletochronological study of parthenogenetic lizards of genus Darevskia from Turkey

The skeletochronological method has been used to assess age distribution and age-related differences in body size among populations of the parthenogenetic lizards Darevskia sapphirina, D. uzzelli, D. armeniaca and D. unisexualis from Turkey and Armenia. The age distribution between D. armeniaca and D. unisexualis did not significantly differ and ranged from 1 to 8 years. Maximum age for both D. uzzelli and D. sapphirina was 6 years, and 8 years for both D. unisexualis and D. armeniaca. In all the studied species, individuals reached sexual maturity after third hibernation. According to patterns of growth marks resorption, D. sapphirina is distinguished from all other rock lizards of genus Darevskia by a narrowest periosteal bone as result of high rate of endosteal resorption resulting in complete destruction of hatchling line and line of the first hibernation

On specimens of Darevskia armeniaca (Sauria: Lacertidae: Darevskia) collected from Ardahan

Forty-seven Darevskia armeniaca specimens collected from 2 different localities in Ardahan were examined in terms of pholidosis characters, morphometric measurements and colour-pattern features. The 2 populations were differentiated from one another in terms of the number of supraciliar plates (left-right) (SCPa-SCPb), supralabial plates (left-right) (SRLa-SRLb) and transversal series of ventral plates (TVP) according to the results of the Mann-Whitney U test. An independent t-test based on morphometric measurements revealed significant differences in terms of the head index (HI) between the 2 populations. Regarding pholidosis characters, morphometric measurements and colour-pattern features, specimens collected from the 2 localities showed a similarity to Darevskia armeniaca specimens from Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Zigana. © TÜBİTAK

Doğu Karadeniz Bölgesi'ndeki (Trabzon, Rize, Artvin ve Ardahan) kaya kertenkelelerinin sistematik durumu, yayılışı ve ekolojisi üzerine araştırmalar (Sauria: Lacertidae)

Bu çalışmada, Trabzon, Rize, Artvin ve Ardahan illerinden Darevskia armeniaca, Darevskia clarkorum, Darevskia parvula, Darevskia rudis, Darevskia valentini ve Darevskia derjugini türlerine ait farklı lokalitelerden toplanan 798 örnek, pholidosis özellikleri, vücut ölçüm, oran ve indeks değerleri ve renk-desen özellikleri bakımından incelenerek, populasyonların taksonomik durumları ortaya konulmuştur. Diğer taraftan, türlerin yukarıda adı geçen illerdeki dağılış sahaları tespit edilmiş ve türlere ait örneklerin toplandığı lokalitelerin ekolojik özellikleri hakkında bilgiler verilmiştir

The morphology, taxonomy, and distribution of specimens of Darevskia clarkorum (Sauria: Lacertidae: Darevskia) collected from Turkey's Eastern Black Sea region

In all, 103 specimens of Clark's lizard, Darevskia darkorum (Darevsky and Vedmederja, 1977), from 6 localities in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey were examined in terms of pholidosis characteristics, morphometric measurements, and color and pattern features. Kolmogorov-Smirnov testing across all populations verified sexual dimorphism in the Ortacalar and Hemsin populations, regarding transversal series of ventral plates (P < 0.05). According to the Mann-Whitney U test, 16 pholidosis characteristics showed differences among the populations (P < 0.05). For comparison of morphometric measurements, 4 morphometric indices and ratios were developed. According to the results of independent t-testing, no differences were found between males and females among the populations. One-way variance analyses based on 4 morphometric indices and ratios confirmed that head index, snout-vent length/tail length, and tail length/total body length showed differences among the populations (P < 0.05). Regarding pholidosis characteristics (except rates of the presence of a masseteric plate and contact between the rostral and internasal plate), morphometric measurements, and color and pattern features, the specimens collected from 6 different localities were similar to D. clarkorum specimens mentioned in the literature. Furthermore, the known range of the species in Turkey has been extended. © TÜBİTAK