Articles

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.

AGE AND GROWTH OF THE EICHWALD’S TOAD (BUFO EICHWALDI LITVINCHUK, BORKIN, SKORINOV ET ROSANOV, 2008) IN THE LENKORAN LOWLAND (SOUTHEASTERN AZERBAIJAN)

Authors: Matushkina K. A., Yanchurevich O. V., Kidov A. A.

Data on the age and growth of the Talysh toad in the Lenkoran Lowland are provided from sceletochronological analysis. Females are larger than males by body size. The reproductive part of the population is mainly composed by animals aged 3 - 6 years. The maximum age of females and males in the studied group was 9 and 8 years, respectively. Males and females reach their sexual maturity after 1 - 2 and 3 winters, respectively.

LEUKOCYTE BLOOD COMPOSITION FEATURES OF GRASS SNAKE (NATRIX NATRIX) AND DICE SNAKE (N. TESSELLATA) (REPTILIA: COLUBRIDAE) FEMALES IN THE SAMARA REGION

Authors: Romanova E. B., Nikolaev V. Y., Bakiev A. G., Klenina A. A.

Our study of the peripheral blood leukogram of grass snake and dice snake females (Samara region) has revealed changes in the blood of these snakes before and after their laying eggs, associated with the natural immunity activation in these animals. Natural, innate immunity reactions were mediated by mononuclear cells (monocytes and lymphocytes). An increase in the lymphocyte fraction in the dice snake female blood is shown to reduce the leukogram shift index.

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