Articles

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.

LABORATORY REPRODUCTION OF THE CUBAN TOAD, PELTOPHRYNE EMPUSA COPE, 1862

Authors: Kidov A. A., Matushkina K. A., Blinova S. A., Afrin K. A.

The paper presents data on reproduction of the Cuban toad, Peltophryne empusa in laboratory conditions. Spawning was stimulated by surfagon injection. The start of spawning was observed at a temperature of 27.0 - 27.5°C in the early morning after 10 - 12 h after the hormonal injection. The female fertility ranged from 2,415 to 7,343 eggs. Incubation lasted 12 - 24 h. The total embryogenesis duration from egg laying to the start of exogenous feeding of larvae was about 2 days. The larval development of the Cuban toad lasted from 27 to 64 days.

PHOLIDOSIS VARIATIONS OF THE SAND LIZARD LACERTA AGILIS (LINNAEUS, 1758) AND COMMON LIZARD ZOOTOCA VIVIPARA (LICHTENSTEIN, 1823) FROM THE WESTERN PART OF THE TATARSTAN REPUBLIC

Authors: Idrisova L. A.

The paper considers qualitative and quantitative characteristics of pholidosis variations in two lizard species, comparative analysis of these indices at both intraspecific and interspecific level is carried out. 45 and 19 types of deviations were observed in the sand lizard and common lizard respectively. Variations of the labial, supraocular and supraciliar, frontonasal, parietal, occipital and ventral scales are more common in both species. The sand lizards from the Spassky region differ from the others by some indices.

DEVELOPMENT OF URBANIZED AREAS AND HERPETOFAUNA CONSERVATION PROSPECTS (ON AN EXAMPLE OF KAZAN CITY)

Authors: Zamaletdinov R. I.

During the field season of 2014, research was conducted on 5 areas planned for organizing protected areas in Kazan City. The examined areas were found to be important for preserving the diversity of amphibians and reptiles in the city. Of major concern is preservation of the northern crested newt (Triturus cristatus Laurenti, 1768) and the common toad (Bufo bufo, Linnaeus, 1758) in those territories, the species listed in The Red Data Book of the Republic of Tatarstan.

SIZE-WEIGHT AND SEXUAL STRUCTURE OF PELOPHILAX RIDIBUNDUS AND BOMBINA BOMBINA (AMPHIBIA, ANURA) POPULATIONS IN THE FLOODPLANE OF THE MEDVEDITSA RIVER (SARATOV REGION)

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

The size, weight and sexual structure of Pelophylax ridibundus and Bombina bombina populations was analyzed during their spawning migrations in 2013 - 2015 in four lakes of the Medveditsa River flood-plane (Saratov Region, Lysogorsky District). The body length of Pelophylax ridibundus males ranged from 29.3 to 101.3 mm (the weight from 2.10 to 152.2 g), and that of females did from 36.1 to 120.2 mm (the weight from 4.45 to 181.0 g); for Bombina bombina males - from 25.4 to 50.6 mm (the weight from 1.06 to 8.5 g), and that of females from 32.1 to 49.7 mm (the weight from 2.64 to 8.43 g).

CASES OF INCOMPLETE AUTOTOMY AND TAIL REGENERATION ABNORMALITY OF THE STEPPE-RUNNER (EREMIAS ARGUTA (PALLAS, 1773)) AND SAND LIZARD (LACERTA AGILIS LINNAEUS, 1758) IN THE VOLGOGRAD REGION

Authors: Gordeev D. A.

The tail regeneration frequency in 55 lizards from the Volgograd region was analyzed, among which were 12 steppe-runners (Eremias arguta (Pallas, 1773)) and 43 sand lizards (Lacerta agilis Linnaeus, 1758). The following cases of tail regenerates were observed: 0) a normal tail; 1) regeneration in the distal third; 2) a tail regenerated from the middle part; and 3) autotomy near the base (the proximal third). The majority of the lizards had normal tails (60.0% of E. arguta and 83.2/57.1% of L. agilis in females/males).

MATERIALS ON THE DISTRIBUTION, BIOTOPICAL AND VERTICAL PLACEMENT OF THE SAND LIZARD (LACERTA AGILIS LINNAEUS, 1758) IN ITS SOUTHEAST HABITAT

Authors: Chirikova M. A., Berezovikov N. N.

Data on the spread of the sand lizard (Lacerta agilis Linnaeus, 1758) in the southeast area of its habitat, in the adjacent parts of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China have been generalized. Cadastral maps with the exact location of 217 occurrences have been compiled. The habitat boundary of the sand lizard in the Southern Balkhash region has been refined. The mountains in the east and southeast of Kazakhstan are an important focus of L. agilis in the country. The maximum limit of the vertical distribution of the species (2,084 m above the sea level) was recorded in the Central Tien Shan.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE «EASTERN» AND «WESTERN» FORMS OF THE MARSH FROG, PELOPHYLAX RIDIBUNDUS, AND THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE ORIGIN OF HEMICLONAL HYBRIDS, P. ESCULENTUS IN MARI EL REPUBLIC

Authors: Svinin A. O., Ivanov A. Y., Zaks M. M., Litvinchuk S. N., Borkin L. J., Rosanov J. M., Ermakov O. A.

Molecular-genetic analysis of green frogs (67 individuals of Pelophylax ridibundus and 63 ones of hybridogenic P. esculentus) from Mari El Republic (15 localities) and the Kirov Region (one locality) was performed by two (mitochondrial and nuclear) markers. Some part of the material (66 individuals) was studied by means of DNA flow cytometry. It is shown that in the green frogs living in the northern Middle Volga region, the genetic markers specific for the «western» (the Central European P. ridibundus) form are predominant.

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