Amphibians and reptiles of South Ossetia

Tuniyev, Boris S.; Lotiev, K.Yu.; Tuniyev, Sako B.; Gabaev, V.N.; Кидов, А. А.

doi:10.24189/ncr.2017.002

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…The new version of SDM was obtained using the optimal values of the Maxent parameters (Figure 1c). Although these two versions of SDMs are different, the main predictions of the lizard distribution in north-western Turkey and in South Ossetia are similar [31,82,83]. Predictions of the adjusted version of SDM and occurrence records in central and southern Georgia show that they are in a good agreement [29].…”

Section: Predicted Distribution Range With Optimal Model Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species Distribution Models and Niche Partitioning among Unisexual Darevskia dahli and Its Parental Bisexual (D. portschinskii, D. mixta) Rock Lizards in the Caucasus

et al. 2020

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Among vertebrates, true parthenogenesis is known only in reptiles. Parthenogenetic lizards of the genus Darevskia emerged as a result of the hybridization of bisexual parental species. However, uncertainty remains about the mechanisms of the co-existence of these forms. The geographical parthenogenesis hypothesis suggests that unisexual forms can co-exist with their parental species in the “marginal” habitats. Our goal is to investigate the influence of environmental factors on the formation of ecological niches and the distribution of lizards. For this reason, we created models of species distribution and ecological niches to predict the potential geographical distribution of the parthenogenetic and its parental species. We also estimated the realized niches breadth, their overlap, similarities, and shifts in the entire space of predictor variables. We found that the centroids of the niches of the three studied lizards were located in the mountain forests. The “maternal” species D. mixta prefers forest habitats located at high elevations, “paternal” species D. portschinskii commonly occurs in arid and shrub habitats of the lower belt of mountain forests, and D. dahli occupies substantially an intermediate or “marginal” position along environmental gradients relative to that of its parental species. Our results evidence that geographical parthenogenesis partially explains the co-existence of the lizards.

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Section: Predicted Distribution Range With Optimal Model Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species Distribution Models and Niche Partitioning among Unisexual Darevskia dahli and Its Parental Bisexual (D. portschinskii, D. mixta) Rock Lizards in the Caucasus

et al. 2020

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“…Bakradze (1969) was the only record of the species in the Eastern Transcaucasia in the Baniskhevi River Gorge (side offshoot of the Borzhom Gorge, left tributary of the Kura River in Georgia), the reference, which was used in all subsequent literature. Relatively recently, the Caucasian viper was found in a number of localities in South Ossetia (Tuniyev et al 2017b;Tuniyev et al 2019) and by G.N. Iremashvili in the lower gate of the Borzhom Gorge.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…There is every reason to assume that the ancestral form had a common geographic range in the southwestern Transcaucasia, which disintegrated into two populations in the Pleistocene and further fragmented in the basin of the Kura River in the Holocene, after the expansion of the xerophylous biota upward along the valley of the Kura River. Evidence for the Holocene expansion of xerophilous representatives of herpetofauna can still be seen today, for instance, in a recent find of Dolichophis schmidii (Nikolsky 1909) in SO (Tuniyev et al 2017b). The valley of the Kura River, as a route of spreading of xerophylous herpetofauna, was considered by M.A.…”

Section: Morphological Ecological and Biogeographic Notesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The taxonomic status of the vipers of the Pelias (kaznakovi) complex in the middle-flow of the Kura River basin in the East Transcaucasia

Ananjeva

Gabaev²,

Iremashvili³

et al. 2021

Proceedings ZIN

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Recently, the Caucasian viper was found in a number of localities in South Ossetia (Tuniyev et al. 2017a,b; Tuniyev et al. 2019) and in the lower gate of the Borzhom Gorge of Eastern Georgia. Animals from the new localities are compared to Pelias kaznakovi from the Western Caucasus – northeastern Turkey and P. dinniki. The canonical discriminate analysis (CDA) showed that the snakes from the left-bank basin of the middle flow of the Kura River in East Georgia and South Ossetia differ significantly from Pelias kaznakovi from Krasnodar Territory and Abkhazia in the mean values of several plastic and meristic characters. Thus, there is discrimination of the groups allocated according to geographic location and gender. Cluster analysis based on meristic characters of pholidosis showed the distance between P. dinniki and the remaining “kaznakovi” complex forms. Based on the results of the analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, the snakes from the left-bank basin of the middle flow of the Kura River form a separate cluster, not sister to Pelias kaznakovi. The results obtained on morphology, genetics and ecology of the studied vipers suggest the taxonomic validity of the vipers from the left bank basin of the middle flow of the Kura River in Eastern Georgia and South Ossetia. The species is named after Boris Tuniyev, who made a significant contribution to the study of the Caucasian herpetofauna and taxonomy of the shield-head viper snakes. Among the representatives of the “kaznakovi” complex, males of the new species are characterized by the minimal values of body length, pileus length, head width, number of ventral and subcaudal shields, as well as the shields around the eyes; differences are also noted in the structure of the hemipenis; the females have the minimum values of body length, pileus length, head width, number of shields around the eyes and loreals, fewer wings of zigzag. All known finds are located in the left bank basin of the middle flow of the Kura River from the Borzhom Gorge (east slope of Meskheti Ridge) in Georgia to the mid-altitude mountain districts of South Ossetia (east foothills of Likhsky Ridge and south spurs of Central Caucasus). Biotopes of the new species are character- ized by more xero-mesophilic traits and a moderately warm mezo-climate than the typical mesophilic biotopes of North-Colchian (Krasnodar Territory – Abkhazia) and, especially, Adzharo-Lazistanian (Georgia – Turkey) P. kaznakovi living in the humid subtropical climate.

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“…D. raddei is found at elevations of 2,500-600 m (2,000-8,200 ft) in a variety of habitats, including forest, scrub, pasture, and rocky areas. 24 The following three subspecies of this species are recognized (Reptarium.cz Reptile Database). A distribution map and an image of this species are shown below, Figure 11 and 12.…”

Section: Darevskia Kopetdaghica 2013 22mentioning

confidence: 99%

Systematics and distribution of the genus Darevskia Arribas, 1997 on the Iranian plateau: a review

Rastegar-Pouyani,

Yusefi,

Karamiani

2024

BIJ

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Two hundred ninety species of lacertids are presently placed in from 24 to about 30 genera. Most of the genera that have been recognized appear to be clades on the basis of their morphology, with the exception of the paraphyletic central African Adolfus and Lacerta sensu lato of Europe, Asia and northwest Africa. Traditionally, species boundaries are only based on morphological and appearance differences, and this approach is qualitatively or quantitatively investigated. At the same time, several new and modern methods can be used for a more realistic and logical investigation in the determination of species boundaries. Molecular analysis has provided more evidence about lacertids' kinship relationships. These methods work particularly well when dealing with cryptic species or species complexes. Where there is a high general and morphological similarity between the species of a population. The rock lizards, genus Darevskia Arribas, 1999, are such species, as many of its members have few distinctive and diagnostic morphological features. Biodiversity and species diversity assessment allows for more precise determination of the causes of many biological processes. These processes involve complex patterns that are especially observed in areas with high species diversity. Anatolia and Caucasus regions are two important geographical regions where Darevskia species live, which have complex morphology and unique speciation. Darevskia valentini and D. rudis are two widely distributed species of this genus, both of which have controversial taxonomy. In this study, an attempt has been made to summarize the species available in Iran.

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Amphibians and reptiles of South Ossetia

Cited by 8 publications

References 1 publication

Species Distribution Models and Niche Partitioning among Unisexual Darevskia dahli and Its Parental Bisexual (D. portschinskii, D. mixta) Rock Lizards in the Caucasus

Species Distribution Models and Niche Partitioning among Unisexual Darevskia dahli and Its Parental Bisexual (D. portschinskii, D. mixta) Rock Lizards in the Caucasus

The taxonomic status of the vipers of the Pelias (kaznakovi) complex in the middle-flow of the Kura River basin in the East Transcaucasia

Systematics and distribution of the genus Darevskia Arribas, 1997 on the Iranian plateau: a review

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