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Daily Diet of Pelobates fuscus (Pelobatidae, Amphibia) in the Khoper River Floodplain (Saratov Region)

The daily diet of Pelobates fuscus in local populations in the Khoper river floodplain is considered. The absence of gender differences in their daily diet is shown. Most of P. fuscus prey is made up of animals weighing 10–25 mg and having body lengths of 8–18 mm. Hymenoptera (70.8%) and Coleoptera (52.1%) predominate by the number of specimens and by biomass, respectively. The number of daily caught invertebrates usually does not exceed 15. The lowest feed consumption is in April and October, while the highest one is in the summer months.

Rediscovery of the Caucasian Smooth Newt, Lissotriton lantzi (Wolterstorff, 1914) (Salamandridae, Amphibia) in North Ossetia–Alania

Lantz’s newt, or the Caucasian smooth newt, Lissotriton lantzi, is an endemic species for the Caucasian mountain-forest belt. In North Ossetia–Alania, only 4 findings of this newt are known in the Prigorodniy, Alagirskiy and Irafskiy districts. Since 1983, there has been no new information about any findings of L. lantzi in this region. On August 4, 2020, L. lantzi larvae were caught in a lake on the left shore of the Urukh River in the Irafskiy district. Newts live here in a beech forest at an altitude of 810 m. The authors assume that L.

Shchukinsky Peninsula as a New Habitat of the Grass-snake Natrix natrix (Linnaeus, 1758) (Colubridae, Reptilia) in Moscow

The paper provides new information about the Moscow findings of the grass snake Natrix natrix, listed in the Red Data book of this city. Regular meetings of common grass snakes on the territory of the Shchukinsky Peninsula for a significant period, starting from 2012, indicate its relatively stable, but low population abundance.

On the Distribution of the European Common Spadefoot, Pelobates fuscus (Pelobatidae, Amphibia) in Moscow

The European common spadefoot, Pelobates fuscus, has not been observed in Moscow since the end of the 20th century. The species is listed in the Red Data Book of Moscow (2017) as endangered or completely extinct. The paper presents new findings of P. fuscus on the territory of the city, namely, in the “Moskvoretskiy” Natural-Historical Park and the “Kosinskiy” Natural-Historical Park in August 2020.

Herpetological century: Centenary Anniversary of the Laboratory of Herpetology of the Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences

The publication describes the history of the formation of the Department/Laboratory of Herpetology in the Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences and previously unknown facts of the biography of its staff. An overview of the events dedicated to the celebration of the centenary anniversary of the establishment of the Department is given.

Ice walking common frog (Rana temporaria) (Ranidae, Amphibia)

A record of Rana temporaria on the ice cover of the Gulf of Finland is described. Frog slowly moved on the ice surface with speed around 0.03 m/s. Air temperature near ice surface was +3.5°C, and the frog body temperature was +4°C. In the Saint Petersburg region, common frogs can hibernate in the coastal waters of Baltic Sea with salinity of  0 – 5.8‰.

Present distribution of the common frog, Rana temporaria and the moor frog, R. arvalis (Amphibia, Anura) in the “old” Moscow

The common frog (Rana temporaria) and the moor frog (R. arvalis) lived in all green areas of Moscow until the end of the 20th century. The reduction in the area of woody vegetation, the destruction of breeding sites and introduction of the invasive fish Perccottus glenii contributed to the extinction of these amphibians in most of the city. The paper provides information on the distribution of brown frogs in Moscow based on the results of monitoring in 2020. R.

New data on some Russian herpetologists. Communication 3

Unknown biographic data about I. S. Darevsky, D. B. Krasovsky, and S. A. Chernov are presented. This information was obtained during work with the museum collection of the Gorsky State Agrarian University (Vladikavkaz), that of E. N. Pavlovsky’s Chair of Biology at S. M. Kirov Military Medical Academy, and the archive of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Rediscovery of Karelin’s newt (Triturus karelinii, Amphibia, Caudata, Salamandridae) in the Stavropol region and Karachay-Cherkessia (North Caucasus, Russia)

Karelin's newt (Triturus karelinii) in Russia is known for sure in Republic of Crimea, Krasnodar region, Republic of Adygea, and Republic of Dagestan. No reports of this species distribution in other regions of the North Caucasus have yet been confirmed by collection materials. The paper presents data on few Karelin's newt findings in the Stavropol region and Karachay-Cherkessia Republic. In May 2018, five adult T. karelinii (two males and three females) were captured in the vicinity of the Novoekaterinovskaya village (Kochubeyevskiy district, Stavropol region).

New data on the distribution of Pallas's spadefoot toad (Pelobates vespertinus (Pallas, 1771)) and fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina L., 1761) (Anura, Amphibia) on the territory of the Saratov region and adjacent territories

New data on the geographical distribution of Pelobates vespertinus and Bombina bombina in the Saratov region and adjacent districts of the Volgograd, Voronezh, Penza and Ulyanovsk regions are presented. The habitation of B. bombina and P. vespertinus populations in 25 and 22 localities, respectively, was established. Most modern populations of these species of anuran amphibians have been recorded near water bodies in river valleys.

Specific composition, numbers and biotopical distribution of snakes (Serpentes) on the southern slope of the Navagir mountain ridge (Abrau Peninsula) and some problems of its preservation

Seven species of snakes were revealed in 1997–1998, six of which (Natrix tessellata, N. natrix, Zamenis longissimus, Hierophis caspius, Platyceps najadum, and Elaphe sauromatus) were in the lower part of the slope, in the area of mediterranean vegetation. In 2001–2003, the first three species were revealed only, and their numbers significantly decreased, reaching a maximum in the middle part of the slope, in the zone of transition from mediterranean vegetation to broad-leaved forests.

A new record of the Bogdanov's thin-toed gecko, Tenuidactylus bogdanovi (Sauria, Gekkonidae), in South Kazakhstan

In the Shymkent city (South Kazakhstan) in 2019 and 2021 several specimens of Bogdanov's thin-toed gecko (Tenuidactylus bogdanovi) were found. The find was located 129 km north of the nearest known location in the Tashkent city in Uzbekistan. The repeated finding of Bogdanov's gecko in Shymkent confirms the eligibility of including this species in the list of herpetofauna of Kazakhstan.

Amphibians of the Orenburg State Nature Reserve (Russia)

Literary information about the batrachofauna of the Orenburg nature reserve is incomplete and contradictory. Data on the specific composition and abundance of amphibians in the Orenburg Nature State Reserve at its five cluster territories by the results of our 2015–2020 inventory are presented. The previously published materials about amphibians on the cluster territories “Talovskaya Steppe”, “Burtinskaya Steppe” and “Aytuarskaya Steppe” have been supplemented.

New data on some Russian herpetologists. Communication 4

Previously unknown biographic and bibliographic data about Peter V. Nesterov are provided. The main part of information was found in the Central State Historical Archive of Saint Petersburg.

On the northern border of the range of Darevskia pontica (Lantz et Cyrén, 1918) (Sauria: Lacertidae)

New findings of Darevskia pontica at the northern border of its habitat, in the Kuban-Azov lowland within the administrative boundaries of the Krasnodar and Rostov regions, are presented and discussed. The species was found in the Rostov region for the first time. It is proposed to include D. pontica into the regional Red Data Book of the Rostov region.

On findings of colour anomalies in the moor frog Rana arvalis Nilsson, 1842 (Ranidae, Amphibia) in the Moscow region

Information on two findings of colour anomalies in the moor frog, Rana arvalis, in the Moscow region is prerented. In one case, the colour anomaly in a frog found in Shchelkovo District was probably the result of a decrease in the number of iridophores. This anomaly corresponds to none of the colour morph of R. arvalis described previously. The second finding was made in Volokolamsk District, and the colour anomaly was expressed in a strongly pronounced spotted pattern, which is unusual for this species.

Winter activity record of two lizard species in Egypt

Two Acanthodactylus boskianus and three Mesalina guttulata were recorded on the surface at day time, 12 January 2022 in the South Eastern Desert, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt. The weather was clear full day, in the middle of the day the air temperature reached +24⁰C. Lizards not only actively moved, but also demonstrated foraging behavior. This is the first documented record of winter activity of lacertids in Egypt.

New findings of the Aesculapian skidder Zamenis longissimus (Laurenti, 1768) (Colubridae, Reptilia) in the Republic of Adygea

Data on new findings of the Aesculapian skidder Zamenis longissimus (Laurenti, 1768) in the Republic of Adygea, specifying the northern border of the species’ habitat, are given. Z. longissimus should be considered a naturally rare species throughout the entire part of its distribution in the Republic of Adygea. Apparently, the direct destruction of these snakes by humans is the main threat to the species in the region.

Distribution and protection state of Coronella austriaca (Reptilia: Serpentes: Colubridae) in Kazakhstan

The smooth snake (Coronella austriaca Laurenti, 1768) was known in Kazakhstan from literary sources and reptile collections by few findings within the boundaries of the modern Aktobe region in 1871–1956. The paper gives the coordinates and dates of the 2019–2022 findings in the West Kazakhstan region, where this species has not been met before.

Captive breeding of the Caspian lizard (Darevskia caspica) (Reptilia, Lacertidae)

The Caspian lizard (Darevskia caspica) is a recently described endemic of the Hyrcanian forests of Northern Iran. The paper presents new data on the reproductive biology of D. caspica obtained in laboratory conditions. Breeding females have a body length of 53.4– 64.4 mm and a mass of 2.96–3.60 g. Females produce from one to three clutches per season, each of which contains 1–6 eggs. The length of these eggs is 10.35–13.95 mm, width 6.19–7.59 mm, and weight 0.27–0.45 g.

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