Southernmost locality for Endangered lizard, Darevskia clarkorum (Lacertidae, Squamata) from eastern Black Sea coast of Turkey

Abstract

Darevskia clarkorum is an endangered species distributed within a restricted area in Georgia and Turkey. The
study has presented a new locality in the Province of Gümüşhane for the species. As the new locality is about 40
km away from the known distribution area, it is important in terms of defining the southernmost distribution area
and limited locality of species. The record of the new locality of Darevskia clarkorum reveals that the species
also occurs outside coastal areas. Thus, the endangered species begins to inhabit inland provinces, too.

Full text

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SOUTHERNMOST LOCALITY FOR ENDANGERED LIZARD,
DAREVSKIA CLARKORUM (LACERTIDAE, SQUAMATA)
FROM EASTERN BLACK SEA COAST OF TURKEY
Muammer Kurnaz*, Bilal Kutrup
Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey
*e-mail: mkurnaz@ktu.edu.tr
Received: 04.06.2018
Nature Conservation Research. Заповедная наука 2018. 3(Suppl.1): 136–139 DOI: 10.24189/ncr.2018.054
Darevskia clarkorum is an endangered species distributed within a restricted area in Georgia and Turkey. The
study has presented a new locality in the Province of Gümüşhane for the species. As the new locality is about 40
km away from the known distribution area, it is important in terms of dening the southernmost distribution area
and limited locality of species. The record of the new locality of Darevskia clarkorum reveals that the species
also occurs outside coastal areas. Thus, the endangered species begins to inhabit inland provinces, too.
Key words: Darevskia clarkorum, Gümüşhane, morphology, new locality
Darevskia clarkorum (Darevsky & Vedmederja,
1977) is a medium-sized lacertid lizard in the genus
Darevskia (Arribas, 1997). It has a restricted distri-
bution area along the coast of the eastern Black Sea
Region of Turkey and Adzharia Region of Georgia.
The population trend of the species is decreasing, and
it is classied as Endangered (EN) according to the
IUCN Red List of the Threatened Species (Tuniyev
et al., 2009). The range extension of the species was
from the Hopa in Artvin Province to Giresun Prov-
ince in Turkey (Baran & Atatür, 1998; Ilgaz, 2007).
The known localities of the species were very scarce
in this distribution area. After the description of the
species, a few studies including taxonomy, morphol-
ogy, distribution and ecology were performed about
it (Franzen, 1990, 1991; Darevsky & Tuniyev, 1997;
Sindaco et al., 2000; Schmidtler et al., 2002; Ilgaz,
2007; Bülbül et al., 2016). The present study aims to
add a new province and new locality to the distribu-
tion area of the species. The new locality represents
the southernmost part of the distributional area (about
40 km away from the so far known distribution area)
of the species. The new locality of the species reveals
that the species is not only distributed to coastal prov-
inces but also begins to inhabit inland provinces.
During the eld study, four male speci-
mens were collected from the locality Akocak,
Gümüşhane (10 April 2018, GPS data: 40° 36′ N,
39° 53′ E, about 1730 m a.s.l.) (Fig.). These four
specimens were anesthetised with a ether, xed
with a 10% formaldehyde injection, and deposited
in 70% ethanol. They were deposited in the Zool-
ogy Laboratory (Collection number: KZL-289 for
Akocak) of the Department of Biology at the Fac-
ulty of Science, Karadeniz Technical University.
Morphometric, meristic and qualitative data were
recorded following the systems of Ilgaz (2007). All
pholidolial characters were examined under the ste-
reomicroscope and all specimens’ morphometric fea-
tures were measured using a digital caliper with an ac-
curacy of 0.1 mm. All measured data were compared
with studies by Darevsky & Vedmederja (1977),
Darevsky & Tuniyev (1997) and Ilgaz (2007). The
following pholidolial characteristics were evaluated:
supraciliar granules (right – left, SCGa – SCGb), lo-
real plates back of postnasal plates and front of preoc-
ular plates (right – left, Loa – LOb), supraciliar plates
(right – left, SCPa – SCPb), supralabial plates (right
– left, SRLa – SRLb, number of labials both anterior
and posterior to center of eye), sublabial plates (right
– left, SLPa – SLPb), inframaxillar plates (right – left,
IMa – IMb), transversal series of gular scales between
inframaxillar symphysis and collar (MG), collar (C),
supratemporals (right – left, STa – STb), ventral plates
(transversal and longitudinal, TVP and LVP), femoral
pores (right – left, FPa – FPb), subdigital lamellae in
the 4th toe (right – left, SDLa – SDLb), transversal
series of dorsal scales at the midbody (DS), and the
number of preanal scales surrounding anals (PA1) and
all plates surrounding anals (PA2).
The morphometric measurements in this study
following: snout-vent length (SVL), tail length
(TL), pileus width (PW), pileus length (PL), head
width (HW), head length (HL), total body length
(TBL). The habitat of the specimens from Akocak
concerns a rocky area near the village road within
broad-leaved bushes (Fig.).
The specimens were found during a day ex-
cursion between 13:00 and 13:30. The temperature
was about 20°C.

137
Fig. 1. A: Map showing the distribution area of Darevskia
clarkorum in Turkey. Black circles represent the known dis-
tribution according to the literature and the white circle shows
the new locality. B: The habitat of the D. clarkorum from Ako-
cak. C: General view of a male specimen of D. clarkorum.
Pholidolial characteristics. Rostral and internasal
plates were in contact in all specimens. The occipital
plate was in contact with interparietal plate in all speci-
mens. The postnasal plate was single on each side in all
four specimens. The masseteric plate was reduced in
one specimen (25%) and it is present in three specimens
(75%). The row of supraciliar granules was discrete.
SCP was six (100%) in both sides in all specimens.
LOs were always two on both sides of the head in all
specimens. In all specimens, a large and clear tympani-
cum was present on both sides of the head. Four supra-
ocular plates were present on both sides of the head in
all specimens. SRPs were (100%) in the left and right
side of the head of the all specimens. SLPa was ve
(50%) in two specimens and six (50%) in two speci-
mens. SLPb was six (75%) in three specimens and six
(25%) in one specimen. STs were large and broad. STa
was two (50%) in two specimens and three (50%) in
two specimens. STb was two (25%) in one specimen
and three (75%) in three specimens. IMs were always
5–5 (100%), and the rst three of them were in contact
in all specimens. Collars were always smooth-edged in
all specimens (100%). Dorsal body scales were small
and smooth. Subdigital lamellae on 4th toe was smooth.
The anal plate was single in all specimens. PA1 was
usually two (75%) and eight (25%).
Morphometric measurements. While the
maximum TBL for the male specimens was 227.04
mm, the maximum SVL for male were 58.35 mm.
Descriptive statistics of pholidolial characteristics
and morphometric measurements of specimens
collected from Akocak are shown in Table 1.
Colour-Pattern. The top of the head was brown
or greenish brown with small spots on all plates.
The lateral sides of the head, especially the tempo-
ral bands, were black. The colour of the supralabial
plates was light brown. The colour of the middle of
the dorsum was generally green and brownish and
it is black or dark brown on both lateral sides of the
dorsum. There were blue spots along both lateral
sides of the dorsum. The ventral region was gener-
ally light green and yellowish and blue spots were
present at the margin of the ventral plates (Fig.).
The pholidolial characteristics and morphometric
measurements of our specimens are nearly similar to
the specimens used in the studies by Darevsky & Ved-
mederja (1977), Darevsky & Tuniyev (1997) and Ilgaz
(2007). The comparison is given in Table 2.
In literature, the studies related to Turkish popu-
lations of D. clarkorum are mainly based on morpho-
logical investigations (Darevsky & Vedmederja, 1977;
Darevsky & Tuniyev, 1997; Ilgaz, 2007). When we
compared our results from the Akocak population to
records in literature, we found slightly dierences in
some morphometric characters based on SVL and TL
with the studies of Darevsky & Tuniyev (1997) and
Ilgaz (2007), while the characters were very dierent
from the study by Darevsky & Vedmederja (1977).
Other pholidolial characters were nearly similar with
those in the above mentioned literature. Only DS was
lower and LVP was higher than from the studies in
literature. Although our results were found similar to
records of literature, the number of the specimens in
our study was very low. More specimens should be
investigated to evaluate the similarity of the Akocak
population with other populations. Based on our nd-
ings, original descriptions of the species and data of
the studies in literature, we conclude that our speci-
mens belong to D. clarkorum. But our conclusion is
not based on molecular data (yet).
Nature Conservation Research. Заповедная наука 2018. 3(Suppl.1): 136–139 DOI: 10.24189/ncr.2018.054

138
Characters n M Mean Min Max SE Characters n M Mean Min Max SE
SCGa 45.5 5.00 3.00 6.00 0.71 STb 4 3 2.75 2.00 3.00 0.25
SCGb 45 4.75 3.00 6.00 0.63 LVP 4 28 27.75 27.00 28.00 0.50
SCPa 4 6 6.00 6.00 6.00 0.00 TVP 4 6 6.00 6.00 6.00 0.00
SCPb 4 6 6.00 6.00 6.00 0.00 FPa 4 16.5 16.25 15.00 17.00 0.48
SRPa 4 6 6.00 6.00 6.00 0.00 FPb 4 17 16.75 15.00 18.00 0.63
SRPb 4 6 6.00 6.00 6.00 0.00 DS 4 44 44.00 42.00 47.00 1.08
SLPa 45.5 5.50 5.00 6.00 0.29 PA1 4 2 1.75 1.00 2.00 0.25
SLPb 4 6 5.75 5.00 6.00 0.25 PA2 4 7 6.75 6.00 8.00 0.48
SDLa 4 26 25.75 25.00 27.00 0.48 SVL 457.13 57.11 56.22 58.35 4.29
SDLb 4 26 25.75 25.00 27.00 0.48 TL 3 91.1 113.69 79.15 170.82 28.77
IMa 45 5.00 5.00 5.00 0.00 PW 4 7.02 7.09 6.82 7.50 0.16
IMb 45 5.00 5.00 5.00 0.00 PL 4 12.81 12.47 10.32 13.92 0.76
MG 4 22 21.50 20.00 22.00 0.50 HW 4 9 9.20 8.80 10.01 0.28
C4 7 7.00 6.00 8.00 0.41 HL 4 14.64 14.64 14.32 14.95 0.16
STa 42.5 2.5 2.00 3.00 0.29 TBL 3170.50 170.52 136.26 227.04 28.47
Table 1. Descriptive statistics of some pholidolial characteristics and morphometric measurements of Darevskia clarkorum
collected from Akocak, Gümüşhane. For abbreviations, see text (n: number of samples; M: Median; Min: minimum value;
Max: maximum value; SE: standard error)
Table 2. Comparison of some pholidolial characteristics and morphometric measurements of our specimens with those given
by Darevsky & Vedmederja (1977), Darevsky & Tuniyev (1997) and Ilgaz (2007). For abbreviations, see text (n: number of
specimens; Range: extreme values, * the values are used for left side of the body)
Darevsky & Vedmederja (1977) Darevsky & Tuniyev (1997) Ilgaz (2007) This study
Characters Mean Range Mean Range Mean Range Mean Range
SVL 65.4 62.0–69.0 58.9 54.7–63.4 59.3 44.4–67.0 57.1 56.2–58.3
TL 124.0 120.0–126.0 107.1 101.0–120.0 106.2 84.0–128.0 113.7 79.1–170.8
PA1 – – 2.6 2.0–3.0 2.5 2.0–4.0 1.7 1.0–2.0
PA2 – – 9.1 7.0–10.0 8.6 6.0–11.0 6.7 6.08.0
FP 18.6 16.0–20.0 17.3 16.0–19.0 17.9 14.0–21.0 16.7 15.0–18.0
MG 24.0 23.0–26.0 22.4 21.0–24.0 22.3 17.0–25.0 21.5 20.0–22.0
SCG 6.6 5.0–10.0 6.1 5.0–8.0 6.4 2.0–9.0 4.7 3.0–6.0
DS 51.0 49.0–51.0 52.0 47.0–57.0 48.7 44.0–55.0 44.0 42.0–47.0
LVP 23.0 22.0–25.0 24.5 22.0–26.0 23.6 21.0–26.0 27.7 27.0–28.0
Acknowledgements
We thank Kemal Vehbi Imamoğlu for his assistance dur-
ing the eld study.
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НАИБОЛЕЕ ЮЖНОЕ МЕСТОНАХОЖДЕНИЕ ИСЧЕЗАЮЩЕГО ВИДА
DAREVSKIA CLARKORUM (LACERTIDAE, SQUAMATA)
В ВОСТОЧНОЙ ЧАСТИ ЧЕРНОМОРСКОГО ПОБЕРЕЖЬЯ ТУРЦИИ
М. Курназ*, Б. Кутруп
Черноморский технический университет, Турция
*e-mail: mkurnaz@ktu.edu.tr
Darevskia clarkorum – исчезающий вид, распространенный на ограниченной территории в Грузии и Тур-
ции. Данная работа представляет новое местонахождение и провинцию (Гюмюшхане) для этого вида.
Так как новая находка сделана в 40 км от ближайшего известного местонахождения, она важна для опре-
деления южной границы распространения этого вида. Новое местонахождение свидетельствует о том,
что исчезающий вид распространен не только в прибрежной части ареала, но встречается и в провинци-
ях, расположенных далеко от моря.
Ключевые слова: Darevskia clarkorum, Гюмюшхане, морфология, новое местонахождение
Nature Conservation Research. Заповедная наука 2018. 3(Suppl.1): 136–139 DOI: 10.24189/ncr.2018.054