We hypothesise that differences in head shape due to microhabitat and soil variation might be considered a scenario under which different amphisbaenian head morphologies initially evolved. Leer más.

The name Ptyodactylus bischoffsheimi is reinstated from the synonymy of P. puiseuxi for the northern species found in northwestern, central, and eastern Syria, and western Iraq. Because the current location of the type specimens described in 1893 are unaccounted for and because of previous taxonomic confusion, we assign for both species neotypes and provide updated redescriptions. Leer más.

We observed that climbing species present on average flatter heads than ground-dwelling species, as well as different evolutionary trajectories. These findings suggest the complex interplay between habitat use and morphological evolution in lizards, highlighting how distinct selective pressures drive divergent adaptations in different functional traits. Leer más.

Overall, this study sheds light on the hidden diversity within the P. rupestris species complex, emphasizing the importance of preserving biodiversity in the face of ongoing environmental changes, while highlighting, once again, the Hajar Mountains of southeastern Arabia as a cradle of reptile biodiversity. Leer más.

Our analysis revealed that 48% of digitised segments are exposed to at least one threat. São Vicente, Santiago, and Sal are the most affected islands, mainly from marine debris and light pollution, while Santo Antão and Maio are the least impacted.  Leer más.