Articles

MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF BOMBINA BOMBINA (DISCOGLOSSIDAE, ANURA) IN THE MEDVEDITSA RIVER VALLEY (SARATOV REGION) AND NONINVASIVE SEX DIAGNOSTICS BY SIZE AND WEIGHT TRAITS

Authors: Yermokhin M. V., Tabachishin V. G.

Morphometric characteristics of Bombina bombina males and females were done. 10 traits were measured and 10 indices were calculated for a sample of B. bombina from the population of the lake Cherepashie (the Medveditsa river valley, Lysogorsky district, Saratov region). Only some traits show significant sex-ual differences in B. bombina. It is shown that in the conditions of degradation of the spawning reservoir network in river valleys, a significant increase in the role of individuals with relatively large dimensions of their hind limbs (mainly femur) occurred in the B.

REPTILE COMMUNITIES OF THE KARAKALPAKIAN USTYURT (UZBEKISTAN)

Authors: Bondarenko D. A., Peregontsev E. A.

Terrestrial route counts of reptiles in 24 localities of the plateau Ustyurt were carried out in 2007 - 2008. 474 individuals of 15 species were found along a total of 243.5 km passed. Based on the results of our survey, the reptile population structure has been clarified in 12 landscapes. The low specific diversity and population density of reptiles were observed everywhere. 2 to 8 species with a population density of 1.9 - 8.4 individuals per ha were found in certain landscapes. In terms of abundance, the reptiles belonged to rare or common species.

DISTRIBUTION AND REPRODUCTION ECOLOGY OF THE SIBERIAN SALAMANDER (SALAMANDRELLA KEYSERLINGII) IN THE NORTHEAST OF EUROPEAN RUSSIA

Authors: Bobretsov A. V., Kochanov S. K.

Data on the findings of the Siberian salamander over the territory of the European Russian Northeast are summarized. This species is shown to be rare here and to be distributed locally. Three types of spawning reservoirs have been identified, namely: lowland marshes, puddles along the edges of transitional marshes, and roadside ditches. Reproduction begins immediately after snow melting and the appearance of open water. Significant correlation links between the dates of the egg lying onset, average air temperature in April and the dates of snow melting in burs are noted.

INTRODUCTION OF AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES IN THE CAUCASUS AND CRIMEA: AN OVERVIEW AND SOME ACTUAL DATA

Authors: Kukushkin O. V., Doronin I. V., Tuniyev B. S., Ananjeva N. B., Doronina M. A.

An overview of the cases of introduction (both accidental and intentional) of amphibians and reptiles in the Caucasus and Crimea is provided. The introduction cases are systemized in accordance with the goals and ways of introduction and with regards to the expected scale of the impact and its nature. No negative consequences of the introduction of amphibian and reptile species in the Crimea and Caucasus are currently observed on any of the known examples. No cases of species naturalization, which the “invasion” term can be applied to, have been revealed.

STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS OF THE SPAWNING ANURAN TAXOCENOSES IN FLOODPLAIN LAKES OF THE MEDVEDITSA RIVER VALLEY (SARATOV REGION)

Authors: Yermokhin M. V., Tabachishin V. G., Ivanov G. A.

The structure of the spawning anuran taxocenoses in five floodplain lakes in the Medveditsa river valley in 2009 - 2016 was analyzed. Degradation of the populations of the three most numerous species and a decreased degree of dominance of the spadefoot toad were established. This degradation strongly affects the species with a longer distance of spawning migrations - the severity of the changes sequentially decreases in the row: Pelophylax ridibundus → Pelobates fuscus → Bombina bombina. The structural parameters in the lakes of Lebyazhye and Koblovo were stable.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE CENTRAL ASIAN TORTOISE AGRIONEMYS HORSFIELDII (GRAY, 1844) IN UZBEKISTAN (RANGE, REGIONAL AND LANRSCAPE DISTRIBUTION, POPULATIONS DENSITY)

Authors: Bondarenko D. A., Peregontsev E. A.

The Central Asian tortoise distribution in Uzbekistan is described on the basis of our analysis of findings at 287 localities. All these localities with their locations have been mapped. The history of the propagation and formation of the habitat of the species is provided. It has been revealed that the tortoise is widely settled in desert landscapes. The area of its habitat is 67% of the territory of the republic (about 300,000 sq. km). However, the territory with higher population densities (> 10 animals per ha) occupies about 0.6% of this territory.

ANNONATED LIST OF AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE SPECIES OF THE FAR EAST RUSSIA

Authors: Adnagulov E. V.

An annotated list of amphibian and reptile species of the Russian Far East is presented with due account of modern data on the taxa systematics. 13 Amphibian species and 27 reptile ones have been reliably registered by now, including several random sea species.

PRELIMINARY DATA ON THE MOLECULAR GENETIC STRUCTURE OF PELOPHYLAX RIDIBUNDUS (AMPHIBIA: ANURA: RANIDAE) FROM THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CRIMEAN PENINSULA, BASED ON MITOCHONDRIAL AND NUCLEAR DNA ANALYSIS

Authors: Faizulin A. I., Kukushkin O. V., Ivanov A. Y., Ermakov O. A.

Molecular genetic analysis of 28 marsh frogs Pelophylax ridibundus complex from 12 localities of the Crimean peninsula was conducted by two molecular markers, namely, COI, the gene of the first subunit of cytochromeoxydase mtDNA, and SAI-1, the first intron of the serum albumin gene nDNA. It has been found that the mtDNA type specific for the “eastern” form (the Anatolian P. cf. bedriagae) prevails for the Crimean marsh frogs, while the mtDNA type of the “western” form (the Central-European P.

COMPARATIVE DATA ON THE LEUKOCYTIC BLOOD FORMULA OF VIPERA BERUS AND VIPERA RENARDI

Authors: Romanova E. B., Solomaykin E. I., Bakiyev A. G., Gorelov R. A.

The leukocytic formulae of the peripheral blood of Vipera berus (Linnaeus, 1758) from the Samara region (Samara City) and Vipera renardi (Christoph, 1861) from the Saratov region (Khvalynsk district) were studied. Some features of the leukocytic blood composition of the species studied were revealed, manifested by the predominance of a specific component in the immune reactions of Vipera berus, in comparison with Vipera renardi.

FEATURES OF POST-WILDFIRE RECOVERY OF FOREST HERPETOCOMPLEXES AS A CONSEQUENCE OF PHYSICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL PECULIARITIES OF THE TERRITORY (ON AN EXAMPLE OF THE KERZHENSKY NATURE RESERVE)

Authors: Lebedinskii A. A., Pestov M. V.

Field research was conducted on the Kerzhensky Nature Reserve territory (the Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia) in 2012-2013 to analyze the influence of the 2010 forest wildfires on the populations of amphibians and reptiles and to reveal features of their post-wildfire recovery. The recovery of the herpetocomplexes on the territories subjected to surface/crawling and controlled fires was found to occur during no more than two years, whereas crown/canopy fires with complete vegetation destruction required three years for recovery.

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