These results make clear that Galapagos giant tortoise taxa represent different stages in the process of speciation, with some taxa further along in that evolutionary process than others. A better understanding of the more complex parts of that process is urgently needed, given the threatened status of Galapagos giant tortoises. Leer más.
The frequency of collisions was independent of tortuosity, presence of fences, and precipitation, while mean temperature significantly increased the probability of collision of mammals, birds, and reptiles. There was a seasonal effect in the number of collisions, which spatial pattern depended on the class of vertebrates. All this leads us to conclude that, to reduce the impact caused by roadkill mortality on wildlife, we need specific measures to be taken timely in each critical place and for each vertebrate group. Leer más.
We conclude that paleoclimate, and particularly extreme aridification, acted as a main driver of diversification in arid mountain systems which is tangled with the generation of highly adapted endemicity. Our study provides a valuable contribution to understanding the evolution of mountain biodiversity and the role of environmental factors in shaping the distribution and diversity of reptiles in arid regions. Leer más.
The checklist contains 48 autochthonous and two introduced species. Five species underwent taxonomic revisions (Triturus ivanbureschi, T. macedonicus, Pelobates balcanicus, Bufotes viridis and Mediodactylus kotschyi). Two species were added after recent taxonomic splits of species’ complexes (Hyla orientalis and Anguis colchica). Presence of new (Lacerta trilineata) and introduced species (Hemidactylus turcicus) was confirmed during recent fieldwork. There are at least eight more species that can potentially be present in Serbia. The national protection legislative should be updated according to the current checklist. Leer más.
We present the updated distribution data of the Hyla arborea species complex in Serbia. Hyla arborea inhabits all biogeographic regions, while Hyla orientalis inhabits only the easternmost parts of north-eastern, eastern and south-eastern Serbia. Potential hybrid zone encompasses parts of central and southern Serbia from the Đerdap gorge, over Niš to Bosilegrad. Since the taxonomic separation between the tree frog taxa was not yet recognized in national nomenclature, we propose the official Serbian names. Leer más.
