A NEW LOCALITY RECORDS of Stellagama Stellio (LINNAEUS, 1758) (SAURIA: AGAMIDAE) in ANATOLIA Yusuf Kumlutaş, 1 İsmail Hakkı U

Russian Journal of Herpetology Vol. 22, No. 2, 2015, pp. 149 – 153

A NEW LOCALITY RECORDS OF Stellagama stellio (LINNAEUS, 1758) (SAURIA: AGAMIDAE) IN ANATOLIA

Yusuf Kumlutaþ,1 Ýsmail Hakký Uðurtaþ,2 Mustafa Koyun,3 Çetin Ilgaz1*

Submitted July 17, 2014.

As a result of our study, the new data on distribution of Stellagama stellio (Linnaeus, 1758) in Anatolia were obtained. The meristic pholidolial, metric (morphometric) characters and color-pattern features of specimens of S. stellio collected from five new localities in Turkey were given in detail and compared with regard to literature. Specimens examined in the present study were similar to S. s. daani specimens mentioned in the literature.

Keywords: Stellagama stellio; new localities; distribution; meristic pholidolial; metric (morphometric) characters; Turkey.

Stellagama stellio, Roughtail Rock Agama, was first populations as A. s. stellio. Kayseri specimens captured described as Lacerta stellio by Linnaeus in 1758. Greece by Mertens (1952) were considered as melanistic form. is the western boundary of this species, which is distrib- The most extensive morphological study (286 specimens uted through Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, northwestern Iraq, from 12 different populations) on S. stellio populations northern Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, northern and western was performed by Daan (1967) and he stated that Anato- Jordan, Israel and northern Egypt (Baran et al., 2012; Va- lian populations represent L. s. stellio. Clark and Clark lakos et al., 2008). S. stellio is represented by seven sub- (1973) stated that different populations of this species species [S. s. stellio (Linnaeus, 1758), S. s. vulgaris (Son- have different coloration in Turkey. Beutler and Frör nini and Latreille, 1802), S. s. picea (Parker, 1935), (1980) described the new subspecies, A. stellio daani, S. s. brachydactyla (Haas, 1951), S. s. cypriaca (Daan, from Ikaria, Greece. This new taxon is differentiated 1967), S. s. daani (Beutler and Frör, 1980), and S. s. sa- from nominate form in having blue scales on the dorsum lehi (Werner, 2006)] in its all distribution sites (Baig et and femur. According to their results, this subspecies is al., 2012). S. stellio is known from all Turkey as well as found in Anatolia as well as on the surrounding islands. the islands in the Aegean strip of the Anatolia except for Baran and Öz (1985) carried out more detailed morpho- Black sea coastal region of Anatolia and Thrace (Baran et logical study on the populations of L. stellio in Anatolia. al., 1989; Gül and Tosunoðlu, 2012; Baran et al., 2012). According to results of Baran and Öz (1985) study, west- Despite many scientific studies on S. stellio, the taxo- ern and southern (Antalya, Adana) populations are rather nomic status of its populations in Anatolia is still unclear. similar to L. s. daani in terms of color and pattern charac- Bird (1936) pointed out that specimens collected from teristics while south-eastern populations (Gaziantep and Gaziantep show intermediate status between nominate Þanlýurfa) are identical for L. s. stellio. They also empha- form and A. s. picea in terms of coloration and pattern sized that complicated taxonomic status of Hatay popula- features. Bodenheimer (1944) specified the known local- tion. Baran et al. (1989) gave information on distribution ities of the species in Anatolia and assessed all Anatolian of species in Turkey with the first report of taxon in Black 1 Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, sea region as Amasya and Tokat. Pekmezci (1997) com- Buca-Ýzmir, Turkey pared Ýzmir and Gaziantep populations. She determined 2 Uludað University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biol- some relative differences in terms of color and pattern ogy, Bursa, Turkey. 3 types and stated that these differences are not sufficient Bingöl University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biol- to evaluate Ýzmir and Gaziantep populations as distinct ogy, Bingöl, Turkey. subspecies. Göçmen et al. (2003) examined Hatay and * Address correspondence to Çetin Ilgaz, Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Buca-Ýzmir, 35160 Tur- Cyprus populations of L. stellio and concluded that Hatay key; e-mail: [email protected] population should be included into L. s. stellio. Kumlutaþ

TABLE 1. The Meristic Pholidolial and Metric Characters of Stellagama stellio Specimens Examined in the Present Study Sadað Kanyonu, Yenice Göleti, Kýnýk Village, Muþalikalesi Village, Kozlu Village, Character Orhaneli, Bursa Büyükorhan, Bursa Büyükorhan, Bursa Akdaðmadeni, Yozgat Doðanþar, Sivas female female male female female female female female SLa/SLb 12/12 11/11 13/13 13/13 11/12 11/12 10/10 12/11 SRLa/SRLb 12/12 12/13 13/14 13/12 11/11 11/12 11/11 11/11 V 4744424041353840 4SDLa/4SDLb 21/22 19/19 18/18 18/–19/19 19/18 17/17 17/17 3SDLa/3SDLb 16/17 18/15 15/15 15/15 14/15 15/15 16/15 15/15 ST 16 17 16 17 15 14 14 17 VGS — — 49 — — — — — PGS — — 52 — — — — — TBL 277 272 — 158 258 220 202 252 SVL 115 112 120 63 108 110 87 114 TL 162 160 — 95 150 110 115 138 HL 37.9 37.9 44.1 21.7 33.8 35.4 29.7 37.7 HW 25.9 23.6 28.5 15.1 23.0 24 18.7 23.4 FLL 56.9 53.8 52.5 29.7 53.6 50.4 39.2 52.0 HLL 79.2 74.7 83.1 46.5 75.2 70.5 57.2 76.3 HD 14.0 12.9 15.3 9.4 12.1 14.3 9.4 14.4 DBL 10.3 11.6 10 5.3 9.2 10.9 9.9 13.4 DBW 8.3 6.5 8.4 5.2 9.2 6.8 5.4 8.7 TL/SVL 1.4 1.4 — 1.5 1.4 1.0 1.3 1.2 SVL/HL 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.9 3.2 3.1 3.0 3.0 HI 146 161 155 143 147 147 155 161 HLI 33.0 33.8 36.8 34.4 31.3 32.2 33.4 33.1 et al. (2004) included into the specimens captured from The main goal of this study is to present a detailed western Taurus in the subspecies L. s. daani. Almog et al. description of the new specimens of S. stellio collected (2005) concluded that the populations of L. stellio dis- from localities outside of the known Turkish range area tributed in Turkey represent L. s. daani. A total of 66 of S. stellio. specimens from southeastern Anatolia, eastern and west- The specimens were collected from five different ern Amanos, Hatay were examined in terms of external localities in northwestern and central Anatolia in 2014. morphology including pholidosis characters, color-pat- The exact locality of the specimens was determined using tern features (Kete and Yýlmaz, 2006). They stated that a GPS. All specimens were anesthetized with ether, fixed L. s. daani inhabits from western Anatolia to Mediterra- with a 96% ethanol injection, and deposited in 70% etha- nean region and up to vicinity of Þanlýurfa and the nomi- nol. They were deposited in the Zoology Lab. of the nate race (L. s. stellio) is found from the eastern part of Department of Biology at Faculty of Science, Dokuz Amanos Mountain, Anatolia to Syria and Jordan whereas Eylül University. Color and pattern characteristics were the hybrid race lives in narrow region situated at the recorded while the specimens were still alive, and color western part of Amanos Mountain. According to molecu- slides were taken from alive animals and utilized in the lar data, two distinct mtDNA lineages exist in Turkey and study. the taxonomic status of southeast region is doubtful Material Lists. 1 female, Sadaðý Canyon, Orha- (Özdemir et al., 2011). The northernmost locality of spe- neli, Bursa, 10.04.2014, leg. Ý.H.Uðurtaþ, (39°51¢40¢¢ N cies in Turkey was given as Sinop (Gül et al., 2010). 28°54¢11¢¢ E, 840 m); 1 male, 1 female, Yenice Dam, In a detailed study of the morphology and osteology of Büyükorhan, Bursa, 15.04.2014, leg. Ý.H.Uðurtaþ, six Anatolian populations of L. stellio, Gül and Tosuno- (39°45’05¢¢ N 28°53’59¢¢ E, 834 m); 2 females, Kýnýk ðlu (2011) stated that Anatolian populations are similar Village, Büyükorhan, Bursa, 10.05.2014, leg. Ý.H.Uður- to L. s. daani except Hatay population. Finally Baig et al. taþ (39°42¢08¢¢ N 28°55¢41¢¢ E, 825 m); 1 male, Muþali- (2012) partitioned L. stellio to a newly erected genus: kalesi Village, Akdaðmadeni, Yozgat, 25.04.2014, leg. Stellagama based on 54 morphological characters. Y. Kumlutaþ (39°47¢21¢¢ N 35°50¢06¢¢ E, 1055 m); 2 fe- Distribution of Stellagama stellio 151

Fig. 1. General view of Stellagama stellio specimens: a, b, Kozlu Village, Doðanþar, Sivas; c, Muþalikalesi Village, Akdaðmadeni, Yozgat; d, Yenice, Büyükorhan, Bursa. males, Kozlu Village, Doðanþar, Sivas 19.06.2014, leg. TL/SVL, SVL/HL, head index (HI) [100 × HL/HW], Y. Kumlutaþ (40°15¢35¢¢ N 37°33¢11¢¢ E, 1070 m). head length index (HLI) [100 × HL/SVL]. Mensural, meristic, and qualitative data were re- Meristic (pholidolial) characteristics considered here corded following the system of Baran and Öz (1986), comprised the following counts: sublabials (left-right, Kete and Yýlmaz (2006) and Gül and Tosunoðlu (2011). SLa-SLb), supralabials (left-right, SRLa-SRLb), ven- All measurements were determined under a stereo micro- trals (V), subdigital lamellae underneath the fourth toe of scope. Morphological measurements, except snout-vent the hindlimb (left-right, 4SDLa-4SDLb), subdigital la- length (SVL), were recorded using a digital caliper. SVL mellae underneath the third finger of the forelimb was measured to the nearest millimeter using a ruler. (left-right, 3SDLa-3SDLb), scales on the 5th whirl of the The following mensural characteristics were taken: SVL tail as of its beginning (ST), ventral glandular scales (snout-vent length), tip of snout to anal cleft; TL (tail (VGS) and preanal glandular scales (PGS). length), anal cleft to the tip of tail; HW (head width), at Morphology. Taxonomic state of Anatolian popula- widest point of head; HL (head length), tip of snout to tions of S. stellio is controversial (Daan, 1967; Beutler posterior margin of ear opening; HD (head depth), great- and Frör, 1980; Baran and Öz, 1985; Baig, 1992; Pek- est depth of head; FLL (forelimb length), outstretched mezci, 1997; Göçmen et al., 2003; Almog et al., 2005; limb from shoulder joint to tip of toe; HLL (hindlimb Kete and Yýlmaz, 2006; Gül and Tosunoðlu, 2011; Baig length), outstretched limb from hip joint to tip of toe; et al., 2012). The meristic, mensural and ratios of S. stel- DBL (dorsal blotch length), the length of dorsal blotch at lio (Linnaeus, 1758) specimens examined in the present mid-trunk, DBW (dorsal blotch width), the width of dor- study were given in Table 1. Although mean values of sal blotch at mid-trunk and TBL (total body length), tip some morphological characters (3DSL, 4DSL, HLI, of snout to the tip of tail. From morphological measure- TL/SVL, and HI) obtained from the specimens in the ments following ratios and indexes were computed: present study are different from the mean values given in 152 Yusuf Kumlutaþ et al. the literature (Baran and Öz, 1985; Almog et al., 2005; Habitats. The specimens examined in the present Gül and Tosunoðlu, 2011), the ranges of these characters study were collected from 09:00 to 13:00. The altitude are compatible for S. s. daani. We think that this differ- where the sampling was carried out ranged from 825 to ence was probably caused by the low number of speci- 1110 m a.s.l. Sympatric amphibian and reptile species mens examined in the present study. observed were Bufotes variabilis (Pallas, 1769), Bufo Color-Pattern Characteristics. In all specimens, bufo (Linnaeus, 1758), Pelophylax ridibundus (Pallas, the dorsal ground color was blackish-gray (Fig. 1). This kind of coloration was reported for S. s. daani for 1771), Anatololacerta anatolica (Werner, 1902), Ophi- previous studies (Daan, 1967; Beutler and Frör, 1980; sops elegans Menetries, 1832, Trachylepis aurata (Lin- Baran and Öz, 1985; Almog et al., 2005; Gül and neaus, 1758), and Natrix tessellata Laurenti, 1768. The Tosunoðlu, 2011; Baig et al., 2012). Regarding to blue general view of the habitats where specimens collected coloration present on the scales of dorsum, top and lateral were given in Fig. 2. sides of the head, our specimens are identical to S. s. Distribution. Baran et al. (1989) reported this spe- daani (Beutler and Frör, 1980; Baran and Öz, 1985; Gül cies from Black Sea Region (Amasya and Tokat) for the and Tosunoðlu, 2011). A dark mosaic pattern in the gular first time. Later, the northernmost record of S. stellio was region was observed in all specimens except male from Yenice having striped pattern. Gül and Tosunoðlu (2011) given as Sinop by Gül et al. (2010). With the new locali- stated that longitudinal dark stripes on a whitish ground ties given in the present paper, it is essential that distribu- were the only pattern in Anatolian populations except tion area of S. stellio is more extensive in the Anatolia Hatay. than estimated.

Fig. 2. A general view of a new locality for Stellagama stellio: a, Kozlu Village, Doðanþar, Sivas; b, Muþalikalesi Village, Akdaðmadeni Yozgat; c, Sadaðý Canyon, Orhaneli, Bursa; d, Yenice, Büyükorhan, Bursa. Distribution of Stellagama stellio 153

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