species tree analyses resolve the radiation of the widespread Bufo bufo species group (Anura, Bufonidae), Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution (2011),

Using both nuclear and mitochondrial sequences, we demonstrate high genetic differentiation in the genus Talpa and confirm the existence of cryptic species in the Caucasus and Anatolia, namely, T. talyschensis Vereschagin, 1945, T. ognevi Stroganov, 1948, and Talpa ex gr. levantis. Our data support four clades in the genus Talpa that showed strong geographical associations. The 'europaea' group includes six species from the western portion of the genus' range (T. europaea, T. occidentalis, T. romana, T. caeca, T. stankovici, and T. levantis s.l.); another three groups are distributed further east: the 'caucasica' group (Caucasus), the 'davidiana' group (eastern Anatolia and Elburz) and T. altaica (Siberia). The phylogenetic position of T. davidiana was highlighted for the first time. The order of basal branching remains controversial, which can be attributed to rapid diversification events. The molecular time estimates based on nuclear concatenation estimated the basal divergence of the crown Talpa during the latest Miocene. A putative scenario of Talpa radiation and issues of species delimitation are discussed.

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The North American terrapin, the red-eared slider, has globally recognized invasive status. We built a new extensive database using our own original and literature data on the ecology of this reptile, representing information on 1477 water bodies throughout Eurasia over the last 50 years. The analysis reveals regions of earliest introductions and long-term spatio-temporal dynamics of the expansion covering now 68 Eurasian countries, including eight countries reported here for the first time. We established also long-term trends in terms of numbers of terrapins per aquatic site, habitat occupation, and reproduction success. Our investigation has revealed differences in the ecology of the red-eared slider in different parts of Eurasia. The most prominent expression of diverse signs of invasion success (higher portion of inhabited natural water bodies, higher number of individuals per water body, successful overwintering, occurrence of juvenile individuals, successful reproduction, and establishment of populations) are typical for Europe, West Asia and East Asia and tend to be restricted to coastal regions and islands. Reproduction records coincide well with the predicted potential range based on climatic requirements but records of successful wintering have a wider distribution. This invader provides an excellent and possibly unique (among animals) example of wide alien distribution, without the establishment of reproducing populations, but through the recruitment of new individuals to rising pseudopopulations due to additional releases. Therefore, alongside the potential reproduction range, a cost-effective strategy for population control must take in account the geographical area of successful wintering.

Pelodytes caucasicus inhabits Turkey, Georgia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Azerbaijan, and six regions of Russia (226 localities). The forest cutting strongly threatens its populations. Therefore, the frog is listed in Red Data Books of Georgia, South Ossetia, Azerbaijan, and the Russian Federation. Additional factors influencing the decline of P. caucasicus populations are destruction and contamination of suitable water bodies, clearing of forests from fallen trees, destroying of litter, mortality on roads, and preying by the introduced North American raccoon. Using of MaxEnt, we developed a species distribution model based on climate, landscape and land cover data to estimate the potential distribution range, ecological preferences and conservation status of P. caucasicus. Two precipitation parameters, annual precipitation and precipitation seasonality, had the highest contribution percentage to the model (52% and 11% respectively). As a rule, suitable habitats for the species located in woodland mountain areas with annual precipitation ranged from 513 mm to 2376 mm. Drier regions to the north and south of the Caucasus limit its distribution.

Поступила в редакцию: 06.11.2016 В работе впервые суммируются результаты изучения батрахо-и герпетофауны Республики Южная Осе-тия. В результате изучения литературных источников, полевых дневников, музейных собраний, соб-ственных экспедиций в Южную Осетию был составлен аннотированный перечень видов, как достоверно обитающих в регионе, так и когда-либо упоминавшихся для него. В настоящее время, в составе батра-хофауны Республики Южная Осетия достоверно установлено наличие 9 видов, в составе герпетофауны -19 видов. Приводится полный кадастр всех находок (65 локалитетов). Ряд видов впервые подтвержден-но указывается в научной литературе для исследованной территории: Emys orbicularis, Darevskia mixta, Natrix megalocephala, Hierophis schmidti, Pelias dinniki, P. kaznakovi. Обнаружена морфологическая спец-ифичность югоосетинских популяций Darevskia praticola, D. brauneri и D. caucasica. Проведена оценка созологического статуса всех форм амфибий и рептилий в регионе. По ее результатам 5 видов амфибий и 10 видов рептилий рекомендованы к внесению в Красную книгу Республики Южная Осетия. Централь-ной проблемой природоохранной деятельности в регионе является отсутствие сети особо охраняемых природных территорий разного ранга, охватывающих все природные зоны и высотные пояса. В един-ственной особо охраняемой природной территории, Юго-Осетинском государственном заповеднике, ча-стично обеспечены охраной лишь по 3 угрожаемых вида земноводных и пресмыкающихся.Ключевые слова: амфибии, охрана редких видов, рептилии, Республика Южная Осетия, фауна Nature Conservation Research. Заповедная наука 2017. 2(2): 1-23

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