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The intrapopulation variability of 20 morphometric characteristics and 26 indices of the body proportions of Karelin’s newt Triturus karelinii (Strauch, 1870) in the Burchu-Gol’ Lake (the Crimea, Chatyrdagh massif, 870 m a. s. l.) was estimated by employing standard statistical methods and discriminant analysis. The studied specimens demonstrated absolute discrimination into two groups, males and females, respectively.

The present paper studies Zootoca vivipara populations from the low, medium and alpine zones of the Kuznetsky Alatau. By using skeletonchronology, the age of animals was determined, and the life longev-ity, sex -age structure, growth rate of bone and body were estimated. Males and females had the highest growth rates of bone and body until their second wintering, and then they decreased. Slow-growing specimens reach older ages. The body length of males and females in different age classes overlaps, and the oldest individuals were not necessarily the biggest ones.

The paper presents data on the variability of basic morphological characters of the sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) inhabiting the vicinities of the cities Tyumen (Western Siberia) and Sterlitamak (Southern Urals). Five subtypes of back coloration were identified. Typical and atypical variants of the coloration pattern are described. A high level of the genetic variability of the ISSR markers of sand lizards was revealed. It was significantly lower in the group of mature individuals as compared to juveniles.

The results of our first short-term study of a unique Rana temporaria population in May, 2015, are reported. This population was formed in the southern Kamchatka as a result of releasing 150 immature frogs in the spring of 2005. The numbers of breeding females was 2,648 in 2015. The activity season duration at the release locality (4 months) is 2 months shorter than that at the original locality of the translocated frogs in Moscow district.

When studying the late Cenozoic history of amphibians and reptiles, a number of problems arise, associated with obtaining and interpretation of factual material. First of all, the author considers peculiarities of obtaining and identifying fossil material, which strongly affects the amount and quality of paleontological data. Most biologists are not familiar with them. These are problems of taphonomy, demand, economy, personnel, collection and systematic problems.

When a female goes over to the settled way of life, the territory of a male with a high frequency of affiliative behavior (A-behavior) with respect to this female always becomes the formation centre of the female’s permanent home range. As the frequency of the male’s A-behavior becomes stably high (or low) in the first days of existence of a dyad and does not depend on the female’s behavior, it can be concluded that the choice of the male, rather than that of the female, underlies any long-term male - female connection, and it is just social choice rather than sexual one.

The body condition dynamics of Pelobates fuscus toadlets from three local populations (namely, Lakes Sadok, Kruglen’koe and Lebyazhye: the Medveditsa river valley, Saratov region) in the period of their migration from spawning lakes in 2013 is characterized by the bimodality of most parameters. In the population from the waterbody with a constant hydrological regime (Lake Lebyazhye), two peaks of the size and weight traits and body condition of toadlets are formed in this period.

Data about some external morphological characteristics of Caspian whipsnake in the Astrakhan region are presented. Males, in comparison with females, have larger maximum body (L. corp.) and tail (L. cd) sizes. The males from the Astrakhan region differ from their females by a smaller L. corp. / L. cd. index (ratio), by the number of Ventr, and by a higher number of Scd.