Just Accepted Manuscripts
Short Note

Human-mediated dispersals in the Aegean region: a case of Anatololacerta pelasgiana on the Chalki Island (Greece: Dodecanese)

PDF
  • Daniel Jablonski,
  • Elias Tzoras
Daniel Jablonski
Comenius University in Bratislava
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/a_h-19819

Published 2026-03-23

Keywords

  • Lacertidae, Aegean Islands, lizard translocation.

How to Cite

Jablonski, D., & Tzoras, E. (2026). Human-mediated dispersals in the Aegean region: a case of Anatololacerta pelasgiana on the Chalki Island (Greece: Dodecanese). Acta Herpetologica. https://doi.org/10.36253/a_h-19819

Copyright (c) 2026 Daniel Jablonski, Elias Tzoras

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

Abstract

We report the first confirmed occurrence of Anatololacerta pelasgiana on Chalki Island (Dodecanese, Greece). The species was detected exclusively in and around the main settlement and port, within an area of ~0.9 km², consistent with an established population likely originating from recent human-mediated introduction. To infer source affinity, we sequenced mitochondrial cytochrome b from two individuals and compared the data with published Aegean and adjacent Anatolian datasets. The Chalki specimens share a widespread haplotype previously recorded on Rhodes, Kastellorizo and Athens (Greece), as well as in southwestern Turkey. These results suggest repeated, transport-mediated introductions from Rhodes as a recurrent driver of secondary colonization in the southeastern Aegean, and underscore local trade links as key pathways for small-island translocations, potentially relevant to other reptiles in the region.

PDF

References

  1. Adamopoulou, C., Linardaki, E., Thanou, E. (2025): Revisiting Spanopoula islet: Podarcis erhardii (Bedriaga, 1886) population thriving 45 years after first recorded. Herpetozoa 38: 93-95. https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.38.e149373
  2. Bader, T., Riegler, C., Grillitsch, H. (2009): The herpetofauna of the Island of Rhodes (Dodecanese, Greece). Herpetozoa 21: 147-169.
  3. Buttle, D. (1995): Herpetological notes on the Dodecanese islands of Chalki and Symi, Greece. Herpetol. Bull. 52: 33-37.
  4. Cattaneo, A., Cattaneo, C., Grano, M. (2020): Update on the herpetofauna of the Dodecanese Archipelago (Greece). Biodivers. J. 10: 69-84. https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2020.11.1.69.84
  5. Christopoulos, A., Pantagaki, C-F., Poulakakis, N., Pafilis, P. (2022): First record of Anatololacerta pelasgiana (Mertens, 1959) in mainland Greece: another new species in Athens. Herpetozoa 35: 239-244. https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.35.e97649
  6. De la Cruz, F., Kawamoto, A., Pérez i de Lanuza, G., Font, E. (2024): First record of Algyroides nigropunctatus (Duméril & Bribon, 1839) from Crete. Bol. Asoc. Herpetol. Esp. 35: 43-45.
  7. Deimezis-Tsikoutas, A., Kapsalas, G., Antonopoulos, A., Strachinis, I., Pafilis. P. (2020): Algyroides nigropunctatus (Squamata: Lacertidae) in the city of Athens: An unexpected finding. Russ. J. Herpetol. 27: 172-174. https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2020-27-3-172-174
  8. Grano, M., Cattaneo, C. (2015): First record of Zamenis situla (Linnaeus, 1758) (Reptilia Serpentes) for the Aegean Island of Chalki (Dodecanese, Greece). Nat. sicil. IV: 375-381.
  9. Grano, M., Cattaneo, C. (2017): The Balkan Terrapin Mauremys rivulata (Valenciennes in Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1833) (Testudines Geoemydidae) in the Aegean island of Chalki: Native or introduced? Biodivers. J. 8: 851-854.
  10. Grano, M., Cattaneo, C., & Cattaneo, A. (2018): Nuovo contributo alla conoscenza dell’erpetofauna dell’isola Egea di Tilos (Dodecaneso, Grecia). Nat. sicil. IV: 261-271.
  11. Hedman, H., Kapsalas, G., Karameta, E., Psonis, N., Poulakakis, N., Foufopoulos, J., Pafilis, P. (2017): First record of Podarcis peloponnesiacus (Bibron et Bory, 1833) from outside the Peloponnese. Herpetozoa 29: 190-193.
  12. Hill, J., Mayer, W. (2004): First record of the Wall Lizard Podarcis muralis (Laurenti, 1768), from the Ionian Island of Corfu. Herpetozoa 17: 94-96.
  13. Kalaentzis, K., Strachinis, I., Katsiyiannis, P., Oefinger, P., Kazilas, C. (2018): New records and an updated list of the herpetofauna of Kastellorizo and the adjacent islet Psomi (Dodecanese, SE Greece). Herpetol. Notes 11: 1009-1019.
  14. Karakasi, D., Ilgaz, Ç., Kumlutaş, Y., Candan, K., Güçlü, Ö., Kankılıç, T., Beşer, N., Sindaco, R., Lymberakis, P., Poulakakis, N. (2021): More evidence of cryptic diversity in Anatololacerta species complex Arnold, Arribas and Carranza, 2007 (Squamata: Lacertidae) and re-evaluation of its current taxonomy. Amphibia-Reptilia 42: 201-216. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10045
  15. Karameta, E., Pafilis, P. (2017): First record of Podarcis muralis (Laurenti, 1768) from Athens, Greece. Herpetozoa 30: 87–88.
  16. Khan, M. A., Jablonski, D., Nadeem, M. S., Masroor, R., Kehlmaier, C., Spitzweg, C., Fritz, U. (2021): Molecular phylogeny of Eremias spp. from Pakistan contributes to a better understanding of the diversity of racerunners. J. Zool. Syst. Evol. Res. 59: 466-483. https://doi.org/10.1111/jzs.12426
  17. Kornilios, P., Thanou, E. (2016): Two Additions to the Herpetofauna of Kasos (Aegean Sea, Greece) and the Role of Human-mediated Dispersals. Herpetol. Rev. 47: 633-635.
  18. Pavlicev, M., Mayer, W. (2009): Fast radiation of the subfamily Lacertinae (Reptilia: Lacertidae): history or methodical artefact? Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 52: 727-734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2009.04.020
  19. Prondzynska, K.M., Katsiyiannis, P., Tzoras, E. (2025): First record of Algyroides nigropunctatus (Duméril & Bibron, 1839) from the Peloponnese peninsula, Greece. Herpetol. Notes 18: 483-485.
  20. QGIS Development Team (2026) QGIS 3.44 Solothurn, Geographic Information System. Open Source Geospatial Foundation Project. http://qgis.org [Accessed 17 January 2026]
  21. Şahin, K. M., Candan, K., Karakasi, D., Lymberakis, P., Poulakakis, N., Kumlutaş, Y., Yildirim, E., Ilgaz, Ç. (2022): Ecological niche differentiation in the Anatolian rock lizards (Genus: Anatololacerta) (Reptilia: Lacertidae) of the Anatolian Peninsula and Aegean Islands. Acta Herpetol. 17: 165-175. https://doi.org/10.36253/a_h-13089
  22. Vences, M., Patmanidis, S., Schmidt, J.-C., Matschiner, M., Miralles, A., Renner, S.S. (2024): Hapsolutely: A user-friendly tool integrating haplotype phasing, network construction, and haploweb calculation. Bioinform Adv. 4: vbae083. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioadv/vbae083

Most read articles by the same author(s)