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The Common Wall Lizard, We present data on the first record of Podarcis muralis (LAURENTI, 1768), an introduced P. muralis population in the Austrian province of Salzburg. The site is new to the province of Salzburg located at the railway station of “Steindorf (Austria). Origin of a paraneozoon bei Straßwalchen”, close to the border to Upper Austria (47°58’00’’N, 13°14’18’’E; The range area of the Common Wall Fig. 1). Wall lizards were discovered and Lizard Podarcis muralis (LAURENTI, 1768) is identified by one of the authors (AH) in the the largest within the genus and extends from year 2008 and may have been present there northern Spain in the west to Romania and since at least 2005, according to information northwestern Turkey in the east, and from the provided by locals. Netherlands in the north to southern Italy in The animals inhabit a ruderal area of the south (GRUSCHWITZ & BÖHME 1986; approximately 10.000 m², formed chiefly by SCHULTE 2008). In Austria, P. muralis was the periphery of railway tracks, walls of the previously documented in all provinces ex- railway station and a storage area (Fig. 2). cept Salzburg (CABELA et al. 2001; ASCH- It is not known whether this population AUER et al. 2008). Populations in the east, originated from a deliberate introduction or southeast and south (Lower Austria, Vienna, was founded by individuals dispersed by Burgenland, Styria, Carinthia, East Tyrol) are train. The latter possibility seems more like- represented by the nominate form P. m. ly though, as “Steindorf bei Straßwalchen” is muralis, while North Tyrolian populations a highly frequented railway station for are related to the subspecies P. m. maculiven- national and international freight trains, for tris (WERNER, 1891). These populations are instance from North Italy via the Brenner well known for more than a century (CABELA railway and North Tyrol. et al. 2001) and considered autochthonous, DNA-analyses were carried out to also due to molecular data (SCHULTE 2008; reveal the origin of the individuals that SCHWEIGER et al. 2011, submitted), whereas established this population. Therefore, tis- in the provinces of Upper Austria (P. m. ma- sue of one temporarily captured individual culiventris, P. m. nigriventris BONAPARTE, was obtained by buccal cell sampling with 1836; WEISSMAIR & MOSER 2008) and Vor- sterile cotton buds (POSCHADEL & MÖLLER arlberg (P. m. maculiventris; ASCHAUER et al. 2004). Total genomic DNA was extracted 2008) only introduced populations were de- using the NucleoSpin® Tissue Kit by Ma- tected. These latter populations showed mito- cherey-Nagel (Düren, Germany). A segment chondrial haplotypes which were distinctly of 887 bp of the cytochrome b gene was different from all other Austrian samples in- amplified by PCR (primers: “L3a” 5’-TTTG vestigated and were detected only recently. GATCCCTGTAGGCCTCTGTT-3’ and “H- Individuals of populations of native or 15150” 5’-ATAATAAAGGGGTGTTCTA non-native taxa outside of their natural CTGGTTGCC-3’) and sequenced (primers range, which are established since at least “H-14776” 5’-GGTGGAATGGGATTTTG 25 years, are called paraneozoa (GEITER et TCTG-3’ and “L4” 5’-AGGCACCTCCAT al. 2001). Podarcis muralis is an example AGTTCACC-3’) (PODNAR et al. 2004; POD- for this kind of active or passive dispersal NAR et al. 2007) by LGC Genomics (Berlin, in many parts of Europe and the USA Germany) sequencing service. The obtained (SCHWEIGER & DEICHSEL 2003; KÜHNIS & sequence was compared with homologous SCHMOCKER 2008; SCHULTE et al. 2008). regions of sequences from samples scattered Apart from the natural process of expansion over most of the area of P. muralis, which by migration, paraneozoa populations can were analyzed in the course of a compre- either be established actively and deliberate- hensive genetic analysis of the species ly by releasing individuals in the wild, by (SCHWEIGER et al. 2011 submitted). The se- unintentional escape from captivity, or by quences most similar to the sequence of the passive dispersal via traffic and railways, Steindorf sample were from individuals col- and may thrive or even expand if habitats are lected in Liguria and the Po plain, northern suitable (BURKE & DEICHSEL 2008; SCHULTE Italy (Southern Alps clade, SCHWEIGER et al. et al. 2008). 2011 submitted). The investigated speci- Maletzky_etal_P_muralis_Salzburg_SN_condensed.qxd 19.01.2011 11:08 Seite 2

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Fig. 1: Position of Steindorf bei Straßwalchen, Fig. 2: Habitat of Podarcis muralis at the railway the first record locality of Podarcis muralis station of Steindorf bei Straßwalchen in the province of Salzburg, Austria. (Salzburg, Austria).

men from Steindorf shows a haplotype dif- als (Fig. 3), and the features of the haplo- ferent to all other investigated samples from type detected, we hypothesize that this allo- the region of the respective haploclade. chthonous population originates from the Based on the red underside of the individu- region of the Lake Maggiore, or the Lake

Fig. 3: Ventral side of the Podarcis muralis specimen sampled at the railway station of “Steindorf bei Straßwalchen” (Salzburg, Austria). The inidvidual was released after sampling. Maletzky_etal_P_muralis_Salzburg_SN_condensed.qxd 19.01.2011 11:08 Seite 3

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Garda (northern Italy) and represents Pod- bericht 29689901/01, UBA-FB 000215; pp. 308. GRU- arcis muralis maculiventris. SCHWITZ, M. & BÖHME, W. (1986): Podarcis muralis (LAURENTI, 1768) – Mauereidechse; pp. 155-208. In: Wall lizards are listed in Annex IV of BÖHME W. (Ed.): Handbuch der Reptilien und Am- the EU-Habitats Directive (Council Di- phibien Europas; Vol. 2/II, Echsen III (Podarcis); Wies- rective 92/43/EEC) and therefore subject to baden (Aula-Verlag). KÜHNIS, J. B. & SCHMOCKER,H. strict protection. Future survival prospects (2008): Zur Situation der Mauereidechse (Podarcis muralis) im Fürstentum Liechtenstein und im schweiz- of this introduced population might be poor erischen Alpenrheintal.- Zeitschrift für Feldherpeto- due to planned modernization measures in logie, Bielefeld; 15: 43-48. PODNAR, M. & MAYER, W. their habitats in the nearest future. On the & TVRTKOVIČ, N. (2004): Mitochondrial phylogeogra- other hand, there is little knowledge on the phy of the Dalmatian wall lizard, Podarcis melisellen- sis (Lacertidae).- Organisms, Diversity & Evolution, impact of introduced wall lizards on popula- Heidelberg; 4: 307-317. PODNAR, M. & HARING, E. & tions of native lacertids like the Common PINSKER, W. & MAYER, W. (2007): Unusual origin of a Lizard, Zootoca vivipara (JACQUIN, 1787), nuclear pseudogene in the italian wall lizard: and particularly the Sand Lizard, Lacerta Intergenomic and interspecific transfer of a large sec- tion of the mitochondrial genome in the genus Podarcis agilis LINNAEUS, 1758. There is some evi- (Lacertidae).- Journal of Molecular Evolution, Heidel- dence that introduced P. muralis are able to berg; 64: 308-320. POSCHADEL, J. R. & MÖLLER, D. suppress or even replace L. agilis, especial- (2004): A versatile field method for tissue sampling on ly when habitats are highly urbanized or small reptiles and amphibians, applied to pond turtles, newts, frogs and toads.- Conservation Genetics, under intensive agricultural use (e.g. STEI- Heidelberg; 5: 865-867. SCHULTE, U. (2008): Die Mau- NICKE 2000; KÜHNIS & SCHMOCKER 2008; ereidechse – erfolgreich im Schlepptau des Menschen; SCHULTE et al. 2008). Currently, the only Bielefeld (Laurenti-Verlag), pp. 160. SCHULTE, U. & further reptile species documented in this THIESMEIER B. & MAYER, W. & SCHWEIGER, S. (2008): Allochthone Vorkommen der Mauereidechse (Podarcis area is the Smooth Snake, Coronella austri- muralis) in Deutschland.- Zeitschrift für Feldherpeto- aca LAURENTI, 1768, but the surroundings logie, Bielefeld; 15: 139-156. SCHWEIGER, S. & DEICH- were not thoroughly surveyed. The occur- SEL, G. (2003): Podarcis muralis.- Herpetological rence of native lizard species will be subject Review, Salt Lake City; 34: 166-167. SCHWEIGER, S. & CROCHET, P. & ARRIBAS, O. & CAPUTO, V. & GIOVAN- to future investigations in connection with NOTTI, M. & PODNAR, M. & TOMOVIĆ, L. & TZANKOV, studies on population size and viability, as N. & MAYER, W. (2011 submitted): Molecular phy- well as, opportunities for spreading of P. logeny and biogeography of the common wall lizard muralis in the vicinity of the current habi- Podarcis muralis: glacial refuges and postglacial colo- nization routes.- Molecular Phylogenetics and Evol- tats. ution, Amsterdam. STEINICKE, H. (2000): Ökologische ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: We thank the First Untersuchungen an einer isolierten Population der Zoological Department / Laboratory of Molecular Mauereidechse, Podarcis muralis (LAURENTI, 1768) in Systematics (Barbara DÄUBL), at the Natural History Leipzig; Universität Halle-Wittenberg (unver- Museum, Vienna, for conducting the PCR and the öffentlichte Diplomarbeit), pp. 89 + appendix (pp. 7). provincial government of Salzburg for permits (Nr. WEISSMAIR, W. & MOSER, J. (2008): Atlas der Amphi- 21301-RI-548/9-2003). bien und Reptilien Oberösterreichs.- Denisia, Linz; 22: 1-132. REFERENCES: ASCHAUER, M. & GRABHER, M. & HUBER, D. & LOACKER, I. & TSCHISNER, C. & KEY WORDS: Reptilia: Squamata: Sauria: La- AMANN, G. (2008): Rote Liste gefährdeter Amphibien certidae, Podarcis muralis, Salzburg, Austria, alloch- und Reptilien Vorarlbergs; Dornbirn (Inatura), pp. 124. thonous population, cytochrome b, first record, choro- BURKE, R. L. & DEICHSEL, G. (2008): Lacertid lizards logy, faunistics, paraneozoon, neozoon introduced into North America: History and future; pp. SUBMITTED: December 22, 2010 347-353. In: MITCHELL, J. C. & JUNG BROWN, R. E. & BARTHOLOMEW, B. (Eds.): Urban Herpetology. Salt AUTHORS: Andreas MALETZKY, Anita HAT- Lake City, Utah (Society for the Study of Amphibians TINGER, Karin MOOSBRUGGER, University of Salzburg, and Reptiles). CABELA, A. & GRILLITSCH, H. & TIEDE- Department of Organismic Biology, Hellbrunnerstraße MANN, F. (2001): Atlas zur Verbreitung und Ökologie 34, A-5020 Salzburg, < [email protected] > der Amphibien und Reptilien in Österreich. Auswer- < [email protected] > < karin.moosbrugger tung der Herpetofaunistischen Datenbank am Natur- @sbg.ac.at >; Silke SCHWEIGER, Natural History historischen Museum in Wien. Wien (Umweltbundes- Museum Vienna, Herpetological Collection, Burgring 7, amt), pp. 880. GEITER, O. & HOMMA, S. & KINZEL- A-1010 Vienna, < [email protected] > BACH, R. (2001): Bestandsaufnahme und Bewertung von Neozoen in Deutschland. Untersuchung der Wir- kung von Biologie und Genetik ausgewählter Neozoen auf Ökosysteme und Vergleich mit den potenziellen Effekten gentechnisch veränderter Organismen.- Um- weltforschungsplan des Bildungsministeriums für Um- welt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit; Forschungs-