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The Persian Horned Viper (Pseudocerastes persicus) is distributed from northeast Iraq through the Iranian Plateau to western Pakistan with isolated populations in the Hajar Mountains of south-eastern Arabia. Like the other members of the genusPseudocerastes,P. persicusis a sit-and-wait ambush feeder with low vagility, a characteristic that often results in high levels of population differentiation. In order to clarify the level of genetic variability, phylogenetic relationships, and biogeography of the Arabian populations ofP. persicuswe sequenced 597 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochromebof four individuals from the Hajar Mountains in south-eastern Arabia and inferred their phylogenetic relationships including 10 samples ofP. persicusfrom Iran and Pakistan, fourP. urarachnoidesand oneP. fieldidownloaded from GenBank. The four Arabian samples are genetically very similar in the gene fragment analysed and are phylogenetically very closely related to populations ofP. persicusfrom coastal south Iran. Biogeographically, it appears that colonisation of the Hajar Mountains byP. persicustook place from Iran very recently, most probably during the last glaciation, when most of the Persian Gulf was above sea level and did not represent a barrier for dispersal. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses research on the use of mtDNA analyses and ecological niche modelling to infer the evolutionary history of the midwife toad found in Morocco. The researchers studied the effects of past climatic conditions on the toad's contemporary intraspecific genetic structuring which could have been caused by homogenization due to gene flow. It advises the use of additional genetic markers to study the effects of population fragmentation on this species.

Age structure and growth in the Moroccan spadefoot toad, Pelobates varaldii were estimated by skeletochronology and reported for the first time for a population living in NW Morocco. Snout vent length and body mass did not significantly differ between the sexes, although females appeared larger and heavier than males. Age ranged 2-7 years in males (mean age±SD: 4.5±1.2, n = 66) and 2-10 years in females (4.7±2.4, n = 20). The difference in age was not significant between the sexes. The modal age was 5 years for males and 3 years for females. The age distributions significantly differed between the sexes. Von Bertalanffy growth curves showed a similar profile between the sexes although growth coefficient was higher in males than in females. Longevity and growth rates of P. varaldii were compared with those of other species of the genus Pelobates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic variability and the potential distribution under past (Last Glacial Maximum; LGM (MIROC and CCSM simulations)) and present conditions were studied for the anguid Hyalosaurus koellikeri, using analyses of two mitochondrial (ND1 and ND2) and one nuclear (PRLR) gene and species distribution modelling (SDM) including 19 geographical coordinates, covering most of its distribution range. Unexpectedly, the genetic results show that H. koellikeri presents a very low level of variability both in the mitochondrial and nuclear genes studied. The present predicted distribution of H. koellikeri revealed a large potential distribution in both north and eastwards directions, with suitable areas predicted in places where the species has never been reported before, as for instance the Rif Mountains in Morocco, as well as into most parts of northern Algeria and Tunisia. The LGM distribution is even larger compared to the present, with a continuous predicted distribution from Morocco to Tunisia, and even into Libya under the MIROC simulation. The results of the genetic and SDM analyses suggest that the now isolated populations from Debdou and Tlemcen have probably been in contact during the LGM, but its absence from both present and past predicted suitable areas is still a mystery. Hyalosaurus koellikeri depends mainly on closed deciduous forests (typically Cedrus atlantica and Quercus sp.) and open deciduous shrubland with high amounts of annual rainfall. The results of this study and the absence of recent sightings of the species outside the core distribution might indicate a regression of the species. Hence, a reevaluation of the conservation status of the species seems warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes.We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes.We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes.We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes.We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes.We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes.We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes.We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes.We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes.We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes.We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes.We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes.We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes.We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes.We examined phylogeographic differentiation of the red-eyed grass snake (Natrix astreptophora) using 1984 bp of mtDNA and 13 microsatellite loci from specimens collected across its distribution range in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA, European N. astreptophora constituted the sister clade to a weakly supported North African clade comprised of two deeply divergent and well-supported clades, one corresponding to Moroccan snakes and the other to snakes from Algeria and Tunisia. This tripartite differentiation was confirmed by analyses of microsatellite loci. According to a fossil-calibrated molecular clock, European and North African N. astreptophora diverged 5.44 million years ago (mya), and the two Maghrebian clades split 4.64 mya. These dates suggest that the radiation of the three clades was initiated by the environmental changes related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis and the reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin. The differentiation of N. astreptophora, with distinct clades in the Iberian Peninsula and in the western and eastern Maghreb, corresponds to a general phylogeographic paradigm and resembles the differentiation found in another co-distributed Natrix species, the viperine snake (N. maura). Despite both species being good swimmers, the Strait of Gibraltar constitutes a significant biogeographic barrier for them. The discovery that North Africa harbours two endemic lineages of N. astreptophora necessitates more conservation efforts for these imperilled snakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the discovery of Ramphotyphlops braminus or Brahminy blind snake at Baie de Kanumera in the Isle of Pines, New Caledonia on April 26, 2007. It notes that the specie was discovered under a wooden log near the campground during the author' visit in the area. It asserts that the snake was able to reach the area by going along with building and garden materials boarded on ships from Grand Terre.

The genus Rhynchocalamus comprises three species distributed in Southwest Asia. Little is known about them, most probably because of their secretive fossorial lifestyle. The poor knowledge of the genus is even underscored by the fact that its phylogenetic affinities remained unclear until very recently. The least known of the species, Rhynchocalamus arabicus, is known only from the holotype collected in Aden, Yemen, and it has not been observed since its description in 1933. Here we provide a second record for this species, which represents the first record of this genus for Oman. This extends its range in southern Arabia by more than 1000 km. The observed specimen was determined as R. arabicus on the basis of its similarity in size, color, and scalation with the holotype. Furthermore, we sequenced three mitochondrial (12S, 16S, cytb) and one nuclear (cmos) genes for R. arabicus and for two individuals of R. melanocephalus and one R. satunini and inferred the phylogenetic relationships of all currently recognized species of the genus for the first time. The results of our phylogenetic analyses indicate that Rhynchocalamus is a member of the Western Palearctic clade of Colubrinae and is sister to Lytorhynchus, with which it forms a very well supported clade and shares some morphological characters. As our results show, R. satunini is the basal lineage of the genus and R. melanocephalus is sister to R. arabicus.