Turkish Journal of Zoology
DOI
-
Abstract
In all, 103 specimens of Clark's lizard, Darevskia clarkorum (Darevsky and Vedmederja, 1977), from 6 localities in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey were examined in terms of pholidosis characteristics, morphometric measurements, and color and pattern features. Kolmogorov-Smirnov testing across all populations verified sexual dimorphism in the Ortacalar and Hemşin populations, regarding transversal series of ventral plates (P < 0.05). According to the Mann-Whitney U test, 16 pholidosis characteristics showed differences among the populations (P < 0.05). For comparison of morphometric measurements, 4 morphometric indices and ratios were developed. According to the results of independent t-testing, no differences were found between males and females among the populations. One-way variance analyses based on 4 morphometric indices and ratios confirmed that head index, snout-vent length/tail length, and tail length/total body length showed differences among the populations (P < 0.05). Regarding pholidosis characteristics (except rates of the presence of a masseteric plate and contact between the rostral and internasal plate), morphometric measurements, and color and pattern features, the specimens collected from 6 different localities were similar to D. clarkorum specimens mentioned in the literature. Furthermore, the known range of the species in Turkey has been extended.
Keywords
Reptilia, Darevskia clarkorum, Black Sea region, morphology, distribution
First Page
325
Last Page
336
Recommended Citation
ILGAZ, ÇETİN (2007) "The Morphology, Taxonomy, and Distribution of Specimens of Darevskia clarkorum (Sauria: Lacertidae: Darevskia) Collected from Turkey’s Eastern Black Sea Region," Turkish Journal of Zoology: Vol. 31: No. 4, Article 5. Available at: https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/vol31/iss4/5
