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Vorläufige Schätzungen der Biomasse von A. pardalis auf der Grundlage einer Entnahme-Zählung (removal census) ergeben einen Wert von 2154 Gramm pro Hektar. Die maximale Populationsdichte wird auf 148 Männchen und 231 Weibchen pro Hektar geschätzt. Männchen sind deutlich schwerer als Weibchen; die maximale freiwillig aufgesuchte Temperatur wurde mit 38,0 °C gemessen. Die thermischen Umweltbedingungen und Aktivitätsmuster sind in Abbildung 1 dargestellt.

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Color production in lizards has traditionally been explained by interactions among dermal chromatophores, yet the full diversity of coloration mechanisms remains incompletely understood. Additionally, while most studies focus on visible colors, UV reflectance plays a crucial role in lizard signaling and its mechanistic basis remains poorly characterized. Here, we investigate the UV-blue patches of Podarcis lizards. Using spectrophotometry, histology, electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and optical modeling, we show that UV-blue coloration arises from interactions between carotenoid-containing epidermal xanthophore-like cells—an uncommon feature in vertebrate skin—and two morphologically distinct classes of iridophores. Superficial iridophores shape short-wavelength UV-blue reflectance, whereas deeper iridophores contribute to a secondary yellow-green peak. Although this mechanism is generalizable to other skin organizations, the UV-blue patches of Podarcis lizards exhibit a skin architecture not previously documented in vertebrates.

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Gallotia ist eine auf den Kanarischen Inseln endemische Gattung der Echten Eidechsen (Lacertidae), die durch sieben heute noch existierende Arten (Arnold, 1973; 2007; Arnold et al., 2007) sowie 10 bis 13 Unterarten (Bischoff, 1985; López-Jurado, 1991) vertreten ist. Die zur „simonyi“-Klade gehörenden Rieseneidechsen der westlichen Inseln galten bis in die 1970er Jahre als ausgestorben, bis an den Klippen von Tibataje auf El Hierro eine Population von Gallotia simonyi (Steindachner, 1889) wiederentdeckt wurde (Böhme & Bings, 1975); dies markierte den Beginn einer Reihe von Wiederentdeckungen von Arten der „simonyi“-Gruppe auf den westlichen Inseln. Im Jahr 1996 wurde im Teno-Gebirge im Nordwesten Teneriffas eine Population von G. intermedia entdeckt, deren Größe auf 280–461 Individuen geschätzt wurde (Rando & Valido, 2000), und im April 2003 wurde eine zweite Population an den Klippen der Montaña de Guaza beschrieben (Rando et al., 2004), deren Bestand auf 884 bis 1.100 Individuen geschätzt wird (Ginovés et al., 2005).

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Es wird über einen ausgeprägten Fall von kutaner Papillomatose bei *Lacerta lepida* berichtet. Die Tumoren, die ein ähnliches histologisches Grundmuster aufwiesen, betrafen die beidseitigen Augenlider, den gesamten Kloakenrand, die Femoralporen sowie einen Teil eines Hinterfußes. Es handelt sich dabei wahrscheinlich um eine Pilzerkrankung.

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Die Eidechse Gallotia galloti besiedelt auf der Insel Teneriffa extrem unterschiedliche Lebensräume – von Meereshöhe bis in Höhen von über 3500 m –, die sowohl humide als auch extrem aride Standorte umfassen. Um einen ersten explorativen Überblick über die Thermophysiologie der Eidechsen in diesem Spektrum an Lebensräumen zu gewinnen, ermittelten wir experimentell die Vorzugstemperatur (Tpref) sowie den momentanen evaporativen Wasserverlust (IWL) bei 63 Individuen von fünf bioklimatisch unterschiedlichen Standorten. Wir stellten statistisch signifikante, jedoch geringfügige Unterschiede bei den individuellen Medianwerten der Tpref zwischen den Standorten fest, ohne dass ein offensichtlicher Zusammenhang zum Bioklima erkennbar war. Betrachtet man ausschließlich adulte Männchen, so wurden die höchsten Tpref-Werte an einem humiden sowie an einem sehr ariden Standort gemessen. Auch die IWL-Werte unterschieden sich signifikant zwischen den Standorten; auf Ebene der einzelnen Individuen zeigte sich eine positive Korrelation zwischen dieser Variablen und der Niederschlagsmenge – eine Hypothese, die anhand umfangreicherer Datensätze überprüft werden muss. Es hat den Anschein, dass G. galloti ein breites Spektrum an Bioklimaten besiedelt, ohne seine Thermophysiologie stark an die jeweiligen lokalen Bedingungen anzupassen.

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Es wird der Fund eines melanistischen Exemplars der Algerischen Sandrenneidechse (Psammodromus algirus) in der Gemeinde Arbúcies, Region La Selva (Katalonien, Spanien), beschrieben.

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Wir beschreiben eine neue Art der Gattung Mesalina aus Rajasthan, Indien. Die neue Art ist genetisch eindeutig unterscheidbar und gehört zum M. watsonana-Artkomplex. Sie unterscheidet sich von allen anderen Arten der Gattung durch eine Kombination morphologischer Merkmale, darunter: 10 Oberlippenschilde; acht Unterlippenschilde; zwei große transparente Schilde des unteren Augenlids, begleitet von drei kleineren Schilden; gekielte Schuppen an der Tibia; Ventralplatten in acht geraden Längsreihen und 30 Querreihen; 34 dorsale Körnerschuppen über die Rückenmitte; neun Halsbinden; fünf Submaxillaria; 24 Gularschuppen; vier Supraocularia; sechs oder sieben Supraciliaria; ein sehr großes Präanalschild, das oben und seitlich von zwei Reihen kleinerer Schuppen umgeben ist; 14 Femoralporen auf jeder Seite des Oberschenkels, durch zwei Schuppen voneinander getrennt; 21 Lamellen unter der vierten Zehe.

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We present BalearicLizard, a curated, long-term collection of high-resolution photographs of the Balearic wall lizard (Podarcis lilfordi) designed to support non-invasive individual re-identification, ecological monitoring and computer-vision benchmarking. The dataset comprises 4,619 images from 1,009 individuals acquired during 15 years of systematic capture–recapture monitoring (from October 2010 to September 2024) on Illot d’en Curt, a small islet off the southern coast of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands, Spain. For each capture, we provide the original field photograph, a derived crop focusing on the ventral scale pattern, and standardised metadata including capture date, individual identifier and file location. Individual lizards were manually identified and curated by expert observers based on distinctive ventral scale arrangements, with historical mislabellings corrected using automated re-identification models. BalearicLizard offers a high-quality benchmark for developing and evaluating individual re-identification methods in small-bodied reptiles and a reusable resource for demographic and conservation studies of endemic island lizard populations.

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Since the Quaternary, recurrent climatic oscillations have profoundly shaped species distributions across the Mediterranean basin, generating complex phylogeographic patterns through repeated cycles of range contraction and expansion. The Italian Peninsula, characterized by a highly heterogeneous topography and a mosaic of glacial refugia, has emerged as a hotspot of intraspecific genetic diversity. The Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus), a widespread species across the Italian Peninsula and adjacent islands, represents an excellent model for exploring these dynamics. Previous phylogeographic studies based on mitochondrial (mtDNA) and nuclear (nuDNA) markers have revealed a highly structured matrilineal organization, with several parapatric lineages and subclades, but have also highlighted weak differentiation in nuDNA, suggesting possible mito‐nuclear discordance. In this study, we used multilocus nuclear microsatellite data to (i) evaluate whether the complex mtDNA phylogeographic structure is reflected in nuclear markers, or whether evidence of mito‐nuclear discordance is present, and (ii) quantify admixture and gene flow among mitochondrial lineages. Our results reveal partial congruence between mtDNA and nuclear patterns, with evidence of both historical isolation and secondary contact among major clades. However, several populations exhibit substantial mito‐nuclear mismatches, suggesting a history of asymmetric introgression and differential lineage sorting. These findings indicate that P. siculus experienced multiple phases of demographic expansion and secondary contact, consistent with Pleistocene‐driven range dynamics, and that mito‐nuclear discordance has played a significant role in shaping its current genetic landscape. This study underscores the importance of integrating multilocus nuclear data with mitochondrial evidence to disentangle the evolutionary processes driving complex phylogeographic patterns in Mediterranean taxa.

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Individual identification is essential for wildlife population research but commonly relies on invasive methods that may negatively affect animal welfare. This study proposes a safe, simple, and rapid non-invasive identification method for the endangered Mongolian racerunner (Eremias argus) based on coding dorsal spot patterns. We documented 175 individuals using photographic data and assigned unique identification codes derived from two central longitudinal spot lines and overlapping spots, which capture individual-specific traits. No individuals were found to share identical codes during identification. Recaptured individuals showed stable spot patterns without any code changes, confirming the method`s reliability for long-term monitoring. This approach requires only standard cameras or smartphones and is thus practical for field surveys and citizen science initiatives. The proposed method minimizes impacts on target species while maintaining high accuracy, offering a valuable alternative for ethical conservation and population studies.

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Understanding the evolution of polymorphisms, such as colour polymorphisms, is a key aim in evolutionary biology. Accurate, objective description of the different colour variants is crucial to correctly explore colour polymorphisms, a task that can be hindered by the existence of cryptic morphs. Colour polymorphisms are common in many lizards, including lacertids (fam. Lacertidae). The common wall lizard, Podarcis muralis , shows a complex colour polymorphism involving up to five discrete morphs that differ in their ventral coloration: white, yellow, and orange pure morphs, as well as white-orange and yellow-orange mosaic morphs. Here we report that colour polymorphism in this species is more complex than hitherto appreciated due to the presence of two different types of white coloration: one absorbing and another reflecting in the near ultraviolet (UV). Our results show that both colours are found in all populations although in different frequencies. Visual models indicate that both whites are likely to be perceived by the lizards as distinct colour categories. No equivalent cryptic colour variation was found among yellow or orange animals. However, the two whites are also present in white-orange mosaics. As both whites are present in different adult individuals from the same population, it seems more adequate to describe the ventral polymorphism of P. muralis as comprising not five, but seven morphs: UV-absorbing white (UV ⁻ white), UV-reflecting white (UV ⁺ white), yellow and orange pure morphs, as well as UV ⁻ white-orange, UV ⁺ white-orange, and yellow-orange mosaic morphs. Our results demonstrate that the two types of white are also found in other Podarcis species as well as in other lacertids, revealing that this phenomenon is not a derived character restricted to Podarcis . The existence of cryptic morphs highlights the impact of relying on anthropomorphic descriptions in studies of colour polymorphisms.

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The Mediterranean is the richest in species among the ecoregions of the Western Palearctic, with about 300 species. Reptiles make up a significant portion of such biodiversity, with 13 species of Chelonians, 7 Amphisbaenids, about 180 Saurians, and about 90 snakes. When considering also the Macaronesian native species, the reptile fauna increases by 38 species, all of them endemic lizards. The Lacertidae is the family with the greatest richness in number of genera and species of the Mediterranean hotspot. From the biogeographic point of view, the Mediterranean hotspot includes a number of different assemblages depending on the approach adopted. The two more clearly identifiable units are a Western Mediterranean and an Eastern Mediterranean. The Levant is not only the most species-rich area but also the main area of endemism. Other significant areas of endemism are the Maghreb, the Southern Balkan peninsula, the Sardinian-Corsican Archipelago, and Macaronesia. The presence of alien species of reptiles, especially in islands, has seen a sharp increase due to a better knowledge of the phylogenetic relationships among taxa and their phylogeography. From the conservation standpoint, the Mediterranean hotspot is an area of major concern: the last assessment, dating back nearly two decades, reported 1 extinct species (in the Canary Islands), 11 critically endangered (CR), 22 endangered, 11 vulnerable, and 35 species have been assessed as near threatened. However, these figures could be much higher due to a sharp increase of newly described taxa, many of which with isolated or restricted range, often both.

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Changes in life-history traits constitute a crucial component of the ‘island syndrome’, whereby island-dwelling organisms often differ considerably in many aspects of their biology from mainland relatives. A recurrent pattern is the production of fewer, larger offspring on islands, suggesting that insular conditions (relaxed predation and interspecific competition, but increased intraspecific competition) select for a shift towards the ‘slower’ end of the life-history strategies. However, this idea is based primarily on observations of mammals, particularly rodents, and its generality has been questioned by large-scale comparative analyses in birds and lizards. Here, we document intraspecific variation in reproductive strategies and intrinsic growth rates of Podarcis siculus, comparing mainland and island populations in common-garden conditions. Island lizards produced fewer but larger offspring, whereas mainland lizards exhibited higher reproductive output with smaller offspring. Furthermore, growth trajectories differed significantly, with island juveniles growing at a slower rate than their mainland counterparts despite larger hatchling sizes. These findings align with expectations of life-history changes in island conditions, where lower predation pressure and resource availability might favour larger, more competitive hatchlings that grow at a slower pace. This highlights the role of ecological and evolutionary pressures in shaping life-history traits.

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The vertebrate skull originates from two embryonic lineages, the mesoderm and the neural crest, offering a unique framework to study how developmental mechanisms connect phenotypic variation and evolutionary diversification. Using 3D geometric morphometrics, we analysed skull shape variation in lacertid lizards. Mesoderm- and neural crest-derived bones formed two distinct, conserved modules at both micro- and macroevolutionary scales. In the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), rapid evolution of skull shape under sexual selection was primarily driven by neural crest-derived bones. While the primary axis of shape divergence in P. muralis aligned with a major axis of variation across lacertids, neural crest-derived bones exhibited overall slower evolutionary rates and lower morphological disparity than mesodermal-derived bones. We propose that this discrepancy between the role of the neural crest for skull evolution on micro- and macroevolution reflects developmental bias imposed by neural crest cell biology. By enabling developmental coupling of skull shape, body colouration and behaviour, the neural crest cells can facilitate rapid, correlated responses under sexual selection but may limit long-term evolvability in the skull.

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Understanding how form–function relationships scale across levels of biological organization is essential for uncovering the mechanisms driving morphological and performance diversity. We examined the association between head shape and bite force in lacertid lizards across three hierarchical levels: individuals within species, species within the genus Podarcis, and species across the family Lacertidae. Using geometric morphometrics of dorsal and lateral head shape combined with bite force measurements, we tested whether the strength and direction of the form–function relationship is conserved across scales and whether body size mediates these patterns. Our analyses revealed significant associations between head shape and bite force at all levels, with body size exerting a strong but not exclusive influence. Importantly, while the form–function link persisted after removing allometric effects, the evolutionary trajectories of this relationship were not aligned across scales: regression vectors differed randomly rather than following consistent directions. These results indicate that performance consistently constrains head morphology, yet the evolutionary pathways linking form and function vary across scales, reflecting a flexible interplay between selective pressures, developmental constraints, and phylogenetic history.

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The islet of Vaixell, off the west coast of Ibiza (Balearic Islands, Spain), is home to a native population of the Pityusic wall lizard, Podarcis pityusensis, with the largest body size recorded for the species. These lizards live in extreme environmental conditions on an islet with a small surface area covered by very sparse vegetation. The sex ratio is balanced, and a very high incidence of missing toes and autotomized tails is observed, indicating strong intraspecific competition involving both males and females. The body growth rate, adjusted using the Gompertz model, is intense and, apparently, juvenile lizards quickly reach relatively large body sizes. This fast body growth is probably a strategy against predation pressure from conspecifics. In P. pityusensis from Vaixell, the peak growth acceleration is prenatal and practically coincides with the moment of hatching. The diet consists mainly of aggregated prey, such as ants, with the inclusion of marine subsidies, such as halophyllous and littoral isopods, and a lower consumption of plant matter compared to other insular populations of lizards from the Balearic Islands. The lizards of Vaixell are an excellent example of the adaptive response of a lacertid lizard to the extreme conditions on the small coastal islets of the Mediterranean, with very small available areas, high population density, but a small population size, of about 50 to 100 lizards, which also reach a remarkable longevity.

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The Mediterranean lizard Podarcis lilfordi is an emblematic species of the Balearic Islands. The extensive phenotypic diversity among extant isolated populations makes the species a great insular model system for eco-evolutionary studies, as well as a challenging target for conservation management plans. Here we report the first high quality chromosome-level assembly and annotation of the P. lilfordi genome, along with its mitogenome, based on a mixed sequencing strategy (10X Genomics linked reads, Oxford Nanopore Technologies long reads and Hi-C scaffolding) coupled with extensive transcriptomic data (Illumina and PacBio). The genome assembly (1.5 Gb) is highly contiguous (N50 = 90 Mb) and complete, with 99% of the sequence assigned to candidate chromosomal sequences and >97% gene completeness. We annotated a total of 25,663 protein-coding genes, assigning 72% to known functions. Comparison to the genome of the related species Podarcis muralis revealed substantial similarity in genome size, annotation metrics, repeat content, and strong collinearity, despite their evolutionary distance (~18-20 MYA). This genome expands the repertoire of available reptilian genomes and will facilitate the exploration of the molecular and evolutionary processes underlying the extraordinary phenotypic diversity of this insular species, while providing a critical resource for conservation genomics.

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Vorliegende Arbeit basiert auf regelmäßigen Beobachtungen während meiner Schülerzeit. Mit ihr soll ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Zauneidechse und zur Popularisierung ihres Schutzes geleistet werden.

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The genus Gallotia is an endemic lizard clade from the volcanic archipelago of the Canary Islands (Spain). This clade has five extant and extinct giant species distributed over just five islands in the archipelago: El Hierro, La Gomera, La Palma, Tenerife and Gran Canaria. On the island of El Hierro, remains of several giant species of Gallotia have been found. In this paper, we present a revision and description of the bones from El Hierro with similar osteological characteristics to the giant species from Tenerife, Gallotia goliath. The fossil remains of 24 individuals have been found in volcanic tubes of a Chibanian/upper Pleistocene-Holocene age (Quaternary). These remains confirm the presence of the species Gallotia goliath on the island of El Hierro and provide the first evidence of the possible coexistence of two giant fossil species of Gallotia on the same island. The existence of individuals of Gallotia goliath would imply on the one hand dietary specialization each giant species. On the other hand, it would suggest the transfer of non-flying species between islands raising the possibility that the great landslides of the Quaternary may have played an important role in inter-island migrations.

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Nachdem die Zauneidechsen-Population auf dem Friedhof in Ostbevern-Brock 2007 bis 2009 erstmalig intensiv untersucht wurde, folgte 2025 eine erneute Untersuchung. Es wurden bei 14 Begehungen insgesamt 54 Zauneidechsen dokumentiert. Anhand fotografischer Wiedererkennung konnten 20 unterschiedliche Individuen (15 Weibchen, 5 Männchen) identifiziert werden. Die Populationsgröße wurde mit der Petersen- Methode auf etwa 25 Individuen und mit der Chapman-Methode auf etwa 20 Individuen geschätzt. Im Vergleich zu den Jahren 2007-2009 ist ein Rückgang der Individuenzahlen erkennbar, doch dürfte dies vor allem auf die kürzere Untersuchungsperiode zurückzuführen sein. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der Friedhof weiterhin ein wertvoller Lebensraum mit guten Fortpflanzungsbedingungen für die Art ist. Zur langfristigen Sicherung der Population werden die Erhaltung strukturreicher Randbereiche und die Förderung von Kleinstrukturen und Eiablageplätzen empfohlen. Durch die isolierte Lage der Population wird eine Vernetzung zvr bestehenden Population an der etwa 2,0 km entfernten Bahntrasse als sinnvoll gesehen. Als mögliche Routen zur Bahntrasse wurden zwei Wanderkorridore identifiziert und näher beschrieben.

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We present a genome assembly from an individual male Podarcis cretensis (the Cretan wall lizard; Chordata; Lepidosauria; Squamata; Lacertidae). The genome sequence is 1,507.6 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 19 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 17.09 kilobases in length.