Genotyping the phenotypic diversity in Aegean Natrixnatrixmoreotica (Bedriaga, 1882) (Reptilia, Serpentes, Natricidae)

Daniel Jablonski; Elias Tzoras; Alexios Panagiotopoulos; Marika Asztalos; Uwe Fritz

doi:10.3897/zookeys.1169.104594

Genotyping the phenotypic diversity in Aegean Natrixnatrixmoreotica (Bedriaga, 1882) (Reptilia, Serpentes, Natricidae)

Zookeys. 2023 Jul 13:1169:87-94. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1169.104594. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Daniel Jablonski¹, Elias Tzoras², Alexios Panagiotopoulos³, Marika Asztalos⁴, Uwe Fritz⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia Comenius University in Bratislava Bratislava Slovakia.
² Patras, 264 42 Achaia, Greece Unaffiliated Patras Greece.
³ Section of Animal Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece University of Patras Patras Greece.
⁴ Museum of Zoology (Museum für Tierkunde), Senckenberg Dresden, A. B. Meyer Building, 01109 Dresden, Germany Museum of Zoology Dresden Germany.

Abstract

We examined the mitochondrial identity of Aegean Natrixnatrixmoreotica representing different morphotypes, with a focus on new material from Milos and Skyros. We found no correlation between distinct morphotypes and mitochondrial identity. Our results support that grass snake populations are polyphenetic and that southern subspecies, including island populations, show a higher variability than northern ones.

Keywords: Cyprus; Greece; melanism; picturata morphotype; schweizeri morphotype; taxonomy.

Daniel Jablonski, Elias Tzoras, Alexios Panagiotopoulos, Marika Asztalos, Uwe Fritz.