Краткие сообщения

We describe a case of temporary transfer of a striated lizard, Lacerta strigata Eichwald, 1831 to eating winged individuals of the cornfield ant, Lasius alienus (Foerster, 1850) registered in the territory of the Staropavlovskaya village, Stavropol region.

The paper describes a first case of successful hunting of a Parasteatoda tepidariorum (C. L. Koch, 1841) spider for a juvenile individual of Pontic Lizard, Darevskia pontica (Lantz et Cyrén, 1919), recorded in the territory of Slavyansk-on-Kuban town (Krasnodar Region, Russia).

Data are given on the lizard specimens of the genus Bronchocela (the family Agamidae) of the Vietnam fauna, accumulated in the herpetological collection of the Zoological Museum of Moscow University. The following data are presented for each specimen: the accession number, the date and location of capture, the habitat, and the collector. The places of capture are shown on the map of the country. A new key for the Vietnamese species of Bronchocela is provided.

Data on the Acanthosaura lizards of the Vietnam fauna, deposited in the herpetological collection of the Zoological Museum of the Moscow University, are given. The following data are provided for every sample: accession number, capture location, habitat, and collector. The places of capture are shown on the map of the country.

A brief history of the formation of the batrachological collection of the Zoological Museum (Saratov State University) is given. The museum’s collections taken within the Saratov region and beyond are analyzed.

On the basis of modern field surveys, collection data, and analysis of the literature data, a list of amphibian and reptile species recommended for inclusion into the 3rd edition of the Red Book of the Saratov Region was compiled. It contains 7 species of the batrachofauna and herpetofauna of the region, belonging to 3 groups, 5 families, and 6 genera. We offer to add 1 new species into the Book and to exclude 1 species, and there appeared prerequisites for revision of the existing protection status of 2 taxa.

The coloration pattern of 485 newborn sand lizards (Lacerta agilis Linnaeus, 1758) got by laboratory egg incubation was studied. The eggs were laid in terrariums by 109 pregnant females caught at two localities in the Samara Region (2011 - 2013 and 2015). The posterity of the females from the Togliatti locality exhibited two coloration morphs, typica exigua and immaculata-concolor, whereas that of the females from the Mordovo village (33 km from Togliatti, the opposite bank of the Volga river) had only one pattern, typica exigua.

A simple method of food sampling in live frogs is described. This method enables complete extraction of the stomach contents and leads to a very low mortality of frogs. That is why it is more reasonable than killing and preserving frogs for further study of their diet composition. Photographs of food extracting are provided, which can be used in field conditions.

Summer counts of Phrynocephalus helioscopus (Pallas, 1771) and Eremias arguta (Pallas, 1773) were conducted in the Altai Region during April - September, 2016. A sharp decline in the activity of lizards in June and July was noted, due to the high temperatures and dry weather. As a result of excavation of some burrows, lizards in a non-active state were found. The possibility of summer hibernation (estivation) of the species is considered.

In June 2017 on the territory of the Southern Kazakhstan region, on the right bank of the Syrdariya River, in the vicinities of the Darbaza mountain, under a nest of the long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus) the remains of 5 dead individuals of Schneider's skink (Eumeces schneideri) were found.