Marko Maričić

Marko Maričić
University of Belgrade · Department of Morphology, Systematics and Phylogeny of Animals

Master of Science

About

34
Publications
11,295
Reads
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65
Citations
Introduction
I am currently working on various topics regarding the biology of freshwater turtles in the region of the Balkan Peninsula. Most of my research is focused on functional and evolutionary morphology, ecology, and (in perspective) conservation biology of turtles. As a general interest of mine, I would point up the Balkan herpetofauna as a whole.
Additional affiliations
February 2022 - March 2022
Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources
Position
  • Research Trainee
Description
  • Research Trainee position, supported by Erasmus+ mobility program. Research project title: Molecular and morphological identification of turtle blood parasites;
December 2019 - September 2022
University of Belgrade
Position
  • Research Assistant
Description
  • ● performs scientific & professional tasks ● adopts & develops scientific methods & techniques ● analyzes the results of scientific research, prepares them for publication ● works on a PhD thesis ● assists in the professional training of younger researchers
Education
October 2018 - August 2019
University of Belgrade
Field of study
  • Biology - Zoology
October 2014 - June 2018
University of Novi Sad
Field of study
  • Ecology

Publications

Publications (34)
Article
Full-text available
This study presents an overview of localities where the alien pond slider Trachemys scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792) (Emydidiae) and its subspecies, T. s. elegans (Wied-Neuwied, 1839), T. s. scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792) and T. s. troostii (Holbrook, 1836), has been introduced in Serbia and shows indication of its possible reproduction i...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Sexual dimorphism (SD) implies the difference between sexes in phenotypic characteristics. SD is a widely occurring phenomenon amongst animal kingdom, and it is well documented in turtles. We examined sexual size dimorphism (SSD) and sexual shape dimorphism (SShD) of shell, in three lowland populations of European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) in...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
The unique body plan of turtles is most notably recognized by the presence of the bony shell that covers most of its body. Although armored species are well protected against predation, that safety comes with the price of limitations in locomotion. When turned on their backs, turtles potentially risk being attacked by predators, or they can encount...
Article
Full-text available
According to international and national legislation European pond turtle and its habitats have been highlighted as priority regarding protection. Due to such status, this species is the subject of population research and active protection throughout its native range, however, systematic research was started only recently on the territory of the Rep...
Article
Full-text available
Haemogregarines (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina) are the most common and widespread reptilian blood parasites. Haemogregarina stepanowi was the first haemogregarine described from a reptile, the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis, and initial assessments indicated it was widespread across different pond turtle host species across much of Europe, the Mi...
Article
Full-text available
Kotschy's gecko, Mediodactylus kotschyi, is native to the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Basin and a successful colonizer, with an extensive distribution across the Balkans and outside its native range. In Serbia, it was presumed native in Prizren (Kosovo and Metohija province) and introduced across the remaining territory. To explore the origin...
Article
Full-text available
Functional constraints between different types of antipredator behavior should be common, especially if they are on the opposite sides of the behavioral spectrum such as flight and post-capture immobility. We examined a potential compromise between post-capture immobility displays and sprint speed in dice snakes (Natrix tessellata), using a field-b...
Article
Inadequate shoreline management might be detrimental to semiaquatic ground-dwelling taxa that utilize shorelines for migrations, basking and nesting sites. Although turtles are often associated with shorelines, limited knowledge of their climbing abilities hinders adequate management of these habitats. In this study we tested the climbing abilities...
Conference Paper
Kotschy’s gecko, Mediodactylus kotschyi, is native to the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Basin and a successful colonizer, with an extensive distribution across the Balkans outside its native range. In Serbia, it was presumed native in Prizren (Kosovo and Metohija province) and introduced across the remaining territory. To explore the origin of...
Article
Full-text available
When captured, many prey respond by biting the predator or struggling to get free. However, one indirect escape option is death feigning (DF), in which complete immobility supposedly “tricks” the predator into abandoning its meal. But lying motionless and exposed to a predator is dangerous; therefore, individuals should optimize DF occurrence and d...
Article
Full-text available
When captured by a predator, the prey’s options for escape decrease dramatically; however, some species, such as dice snakes, display a wide variety of behaviours in order to escape. We explored how factors such as locality, body temperature, body size, sex, reproductive status (i.e. gravid vs. non-gravid), presence and state of injuries, and the p...
Article
Full-text available
The ring-legged earwig Euborellia annulipes (Lucas, 1847) is recorded for the first time on the territory of Serbia. The species was found in the greenhouse of Jevremovac Botanical Garden in Belgrade and represents the second allochthonous invertebrate species registered in this greenhouse, after an exotic millipede. In total, 10 specimens of ring-...
Article
Full-text available
We present the updated distribution of batracho-and herpetofauna in southern and southeastern Serbia, based on literature and new field records for 16 amphibian and 22 reptile species. In these two biogeographic regions, already recognized as biodiversity hotspots, we discovered two new amphibian species with limited distribution: Hyla orientalis a...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Golem Grad island, better known as “Snake Island” due to the large population of dice snakes (Natrix tessellata) is a strictly protected area within National Park Galičica (North Macedonia). From 2008, the snakes’ tale started slowly unravelling, thanks to the start of mark-recapture monitoring. More than 6.000 snakes were marked during >15 years....
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Chelonians are one of the most endangered groups of animals, as stated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The European Pond Turtle (Emys orbicularis) is recognized as Near Threatened (NT) globally, and the conservation status of the Balkan Pond Turtle (Mauremys rivulata) has not yet been globally assessed. Both species ar...
Poster
Full-text available
Prey animals have a wide array of strategies that they use to avoid or deter predators. In some cases, these strategies include warding off a predator attack by advertising strong chemical defences, such as venom, or by mimicking sympatric species, which do possess such defences (i.e. bluffing/mimicry). Dice snakes are nonvenemous natricine snakes...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Prey animals have developed a wide array of antipredator behaviours to confront, dissuade or escape a predator. Death feigning (DF), where prey animals get in a tonic immobile state and resemble dead animal, is a sort of a last-ditch attempt to escape consumption. Even if this behaviour works, it is vitally important that the prey chooses the right...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
The establishment of ecological networks (including Natura 2000) is one of the priorities in the conservation of important species and habitats in the Republic of Serbia. During the last three years (2020-2022), we conducted field research on amphibian and reptile species listed in the Annexes II & IV of the Habitat Directive. The main goals were t...
Article
Full-text available
We present the updated distribution data of the Hyla arborea species complex in Serbia. Hyla arborea inhabits all biogeographic regions, while Hyla orientalis inhabits only the easternmost parts of north-eastern, eastern and south-eastern Serbia. Potential hybrid zone encompasses parts of central and southern Serbia from the Đerdap gorge, over Niš...
Poster
Full-text available
Ludaš lake is one of the few natural lakes in the Vojvodina province, with a water surface of 328 ha. It hosts a population of the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), the only autochthonous species of freshwater turtle that is inhabiting Serbia. This is an open population, connected by the canals to other adjacent (sub)populations. Such a well...
Article
Full-text available
Studies of body condition in snakes are generally lacking and were only done on a few species and with limited sample sizes. Additionally, almost no studies considered how different factors affect body condition. We used a large dataset amassed over a 15 year-long ecological study to make a preliminary screening of body condition index (BCI) variat...
Article
In Serbia, the southern and south-eastern parts of the country have the highest diversity of Reptile fauna. Due to the Mediterranean influence that is spreading across the North Macedonia to the north, some Mediterranean Reptile species have been recorded in Serbia, but there is a possibility that there are still unregistered ones. Concerning the i...
Article
Full-text available
Kotschy's gecko (Mediodactylus kotschyi) is native to the eastern Mediterranean basin but well known as a successful colonizer. The most probable way of its spreading is cargo and passenger traffic. In Serbia, M. kotschyi is assumed native only in Prizren. Anthropogenic introductions were confirmed in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Pančevo and Smederevo. This...
Article
Full-text available
In this study, we present an updated distribution data of Anguis fragilis complex species in Serbia. The dataset consists of literature and Internet records, coupled with previously unpublished distribution data gathered in the field. Of the two species of the complex, Anguis fragilis is present in the western and southern parts of the country whi...
Article
Full-text available
In the most recent comprehensive distribution of vipers in the western and central Balkans, 210 precise records (146 UTM cells) for all three species of vipers (Vipera ammodytes, V. berus, and V. ursinii) were presented for Serbia. During the past eight years, extensive field investigations within the ongoing conservation projects in our country (e...
Conference Paper
Human activities, especially transportation and urbanization, coupled with climate change, can lead to changes in faunal compositions of some regions through range shrinking/expansion of certain species. Some lizards, particularly geckos, proved as adept colonizers, especially in urban ecosystems. The Kotschyi’s gecko (Mediodactylus kotschyi sensu...
Poster
Full-text available
The Red-eared slider (Trachemis scripta elegans) is among the world’s most invasive species, and recently its related subspecies (T. s. scripta and T. s. troostii) were also being introduced in Europe. Herein, we present data on introduction of the Red-eared slider and its related subspecies in Serbia, gathered during more than ten years. The numbe...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
The European pond turtle, although mostly aquatic, still has to face a potential terrestrial predator while migrating or laying eggs. Getting stuck in vegetation is also possible, both on land and underwater, leaving the animal vulnerable to predators and exposure. We measured how animals from three populations behaved during timed test that imitat...
Conference Paper
The Red-eared slider (Trachemis scripta elegans) is among the world’s most invasive species, and recently its related subspecies (T. s. scripta and T. s. troostii) were also being introduced in Europe. Herein, we present data on introduction of the Red-eared slider and its related subspecies in Serbia, gathered during more than ten years. The numbe...
Article
Full-text available
With the aim to broaden the already published data about the amphibian and reptile fauna of the Landscape of Outstanding Features “Ovčar-Kablar Gorge” and its surroundings, field research was conducted during the spring and summer of 2016. Seven amphibian and eleven reptile species were recorded. The site Vrnčani, which is located outside the borde...
Article
In this study, we present updated distribution data for all three brown frog species (Rana spp.) inhabiting Serbia. The data provided consists of newly collected field records and compiled data previously published in literature or via Internet. Of the three species found in Serbia, Rana dalmatina is the most widespread, present in all three altitu...
Article
Full-text available
Istraživanje faune vodozemaca i gmizavaca na području Spomenika prirode „Slapovi Sopotnice“ je sprovedeno prvi put u periodu od juna 2015. do jula 2017. godine, a zabeležen je značajan broj vrsta koje naseljavaju različita pogodna staništa u okviru i van zaštićenog područja. Cilj istraživanja bio je inicijalni popis pomenutih fauna. Zabeleženo je o...

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