Unusual Winter Activity of Some Amphibian and Reptile Species Living in Bozcaada (Çanakkale, Turkey)

Year 2022, Volume: 7 Issue: 3, 244 - 250, 30.09.2022

Ceren Nur Özgül Didem Kurtul Çiğdem Gül Murat Tosunoğlu

https://doi.org/10.35229/jaes.1123314

Cited By: 1

Abstract

Amphibians and reptiles spend their winter months in the hibernation period under the ground in response to adverse weather conditions. It was established that some species of amphibians and reptiles are active before the periods when hibernation is supposed to end. One of the reasons for the occurrence of unusual winter activity in amphibian and reptile species may be that these species are very sensitive to changing temperature conditions. The effects of global warming on amphibians and reptiles are clearly visible, and some members of these groups may be active even in winter because of these effects. In this study, data on the unusual winter activity of Lissotriton schmidtleri, Mauremys rivulata, Testudo graeca, Hemidactylus turcicus, Mediodactylus kotschyi, Ophisops elegans and Ablepharus kitaibelii species living in Bozcaada, Çanakkale Province, were reported.

Keywords

Amphibia, Bozcaada, Climate, Hibernation, Reptilia, Winter Activity

Supporting Institution

Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri Koordinasyon Birimi

Project Number

FYL-2021-3717

Thanks

This study was financially supported by the Scientific Research Project Coordination Unit of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkey (FYL-2021-3717).

Bozcaada’da (Çanakkale, Türkiye) Yaşayan Amfibi ve Sürüngen Türlerinin Olağandışı Kış Aktivitesi

Abstract

Amfibiler ve sürüngenler, kış aylarını, hava koşullarına yanıt vermek için kış uykusu döneminde yer altında geçirirler. Bazı amfibi ve sürüngen türlerinin kış uykusunun bitmesi gereken dönemlerden önce aktif oldukları tespit edilmiştir. Amfibi ve sürüngen türlerinde olağandışı kış aktivitesinin ortaya çıkmasının nedenlerinden biri, bu türlerin değişen sıcaklık koşullarına karşı çok hassas olmaları olabilir. Küresel ısınmanın amfibiler ve sürüngenler üzerindeki etkileri açıkça görülmektedir ve bu etkilerden dolayı bu grupların bazı üyeleri kışın bile aktif olabilirler. Bu çalışmada Çanakkale, Bozcaada’da yaşayan Lissotriton schmidtleri, Mauremys rivulata, Testudo graeca, Hemidactylus turcicus, Mediodactylus kotschyi, Ophisops elegans ve Ablepharus kitaibelii türlerinin olağandışı kış aktivitelerine ilişkin veriler rapor edilmiştir.

Keywords

Amfibi, Bozcaada, Hibernasyon, İklim, Kış Aktivitesi, Reptil

Project Number

FYL-2021-3717

References

• Adolph, S.C. & Porter, W.P. (1993). Temperature, activity, and lizard life histories. The American Naturalist, 142: 273-295.
• Altunışık, A. & Kara, Y. (2021). Unusual winter activity of Bufo bufo (Anura: Bufonidae). Turkish Journal of Biodiversity, 4(1).
• Altunışık, A. (2019). A case study on earlier activation of the variable toad, Bufotes variabilis (Pallas, 1769). Biological Diversity and Conservation, 12(2), 38-40.
• Arakelyan, M. S., Danielyan, F. D., Corti, C., Sindaco, R. & Leviton, A. E. (2011). Herpetofauna of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, Salt Lake City: Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.
• Atalay, İ. (1982). Türkiye jeomorfolojisine giriş. Ege Üniversitesi Ege Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Fakültesi Yayınları.
• Ayaz, D. & Çiçek, K. (2011). Aestivation observed in Testudo graeca ibera Pallas, 1814 in southern Anatolia (Turkey). Herpetozoa, 23(3/4), 84.
• Baran, İ., Avcı, A., Kumlutaş, Y., Olgun, K. & Ilgaz, Ç. (2021). Türkiye Amfibi ve Sürüngenleri. Ankara: Palme Publishing, 230 pp.
• Baruš, V. & Oliva, O. (1992). Obojživelníci – Amphibia. Fauna ČSFR 25. Academia, Praha. 340 pp.
• Başaoğlu, M. & Baran, Ü. (1977). Türkiye Sürüngenleri. Kısım I Kaplumbağa ve Kertenkeleler. Ege Univ. Fen Fak. Kitaplar Ser. N:76 Bornova-İzmir, 1-272 s.
• Beshkov, V. (1977). Zimnite kvartiri na zaemnovodnite i vlechugite (The winter lodgings of the amphibians and the reptiles). Priroda i znanie, 28: 9-11. Beshkov, V. & Nanev, K. (2002). Zemnovodni i vlechugi v Bulgaria (Amphibians and Reptiles in Bulgaria). Sofia-Moscow. Pensoft.
• Bickford, D., Howard, S. D., Ng, D. J. & Sheridan, J. A. (2010). Impacts of climate change on the amphibians and reptiles of Southeast Asia. Biodiversity and conservation, 19(4), 1043-1062.
• Bilgin, H. (2018). Çanakkale’de dağılış gösteren Mauremys rivulata (Testudinata: Geoemydidae) populasyonlarında büyüklüğe bağlı hematolojik parametrelerin incelenmesi (Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi, Çanakkale, Türkiye.
• Blaustein, A. R., Walls, S. C., Bancroft, B. A., Lawler, J. J., Searle, C. L. & Gervasi, S. S. (2010). Direct and indirect effects of climate change on amphibian populations. Diversity, 2(2), 281-313.
• Bülbül, U. & Koç-Gür, H. (2020). The unusual winter activity and negative effects of pollution on breeding of Ommatotriton ophryticus (Berthold, 1846) in Turkey. Sinop University Journal of Natural Science, 5(1), 77-83.
• Bülbül, U., Koç, H., Orhan, Y., Odabaş, Y. & Kutrup, B. (2019). Early waking from hibernation in some amphibian and reptile species from Gümüşhane Province of Turkey. Sinop Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, 4: 63–70.
• Buresh, I. & Tsonkov, Y. (1933). Untersuchungen über die Verbreitung der Reptilien und Amphibien in Bulgarien und auf der Balkanhalbinsel. I Teil: Schildkrötten (Testudinata) und Eidechsen (Sauria). Mitteilungen aus den Königlichen naturwissenschaftlichen Instituten in Sofia, 6: 150-207.
• Corn, P.S. (2005). Climate change and amphibians. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation, 28(1): 59–67.
• Covaciu-Marcov, S. D., Sas, I., Antal, C., Cicort-Lucaciu, A. Ş. & Buncan, M. (2010). We cannot hibernate again: new amphibian populations active during winter in the thermal habitats from Western Romania. Biharean Biologist, 4(2).
• Escobedo-Galván, A.H. (2013). Temperature dependent sex determination in an uncertain world: advances and perspectives. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 84: 727–730.
• Franzen, M. (1986). Zur Winterlichen Aktivität Einiger Echsen in der Südlichen Türkei. Herpetofauna, 8 (45):6-10.
• Gidiş, M. & Başkale, E. (2020). The herpetofauna of Honaz Mountain National Park (Denizli Province, Turkey) and threatening factors.
• Grant, B. W. (1990). Trade‐offs in activity time and physiological performance for thermoregulating desert lizards, Sceloporus merriami. Ecology, 71(6), 2323-2333.
• Gregory, P. T. (1982). Reptilian hibernation. Biology of the Reptilia, 13, 53-154.
• Grenot, C. J., Garcin, L., Dao, J., Hérold, J. P., Fahys, B. & Tséré-Pages, H. (2000). How does the European common lizard, Lacerta vivipara, survive the cold of winter? Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 127(1), 71-80. Gül, Ç., Tosunoğlu, M., Hacıoğlu, N., Çaprazlı, T., Erduğan, H. & Uysal, İ. (2014). The population of Mauremys rivulata (Valenciennes, 1833) on the Island of Bozcaada, Turkey. Herpetozoa, 27(1/2), 104–108.
• Hawkes, L. A., Broderick, A. C., Godfrey, M. H. & Godley, B. J. (2009). Climate change and marine turtles. Endangered Species Research, 7(2), 137-154. Helmer, W., Strijbosch, H. & Scholte, P. T. (1989). Distribution and ecology of lizards in the Greek province of Evros. Amphibia-reptilia, 10(2), 151-174.
• Hocaoğlu, Ş. (1988). Bozcaada'nın Fiziki Coğrafyası. Ege Coğrafya Dergisi, 3(1).
• Huey, R. B., Kearney, M. R., Krockenberger, A., Holtum, J. A., Jess, M. & Williams, S. E. (2012). Predicting organismal vulnerability to climate warming: roles of behaviour, physiology, and adaptation. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 367(1596), 1665-1679.
• IUCN (2022). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2021-3. https://www.iucnredlist.org.
• Jablonski, D. (2013). Unusual observation of the winter activity of Lissotriton vulgaris from South–Western Slovakia. Folia Faunistica Slovaca, 18(1): 301-302.
• Juszczyk, W. (1987). Płazy i gady krajowe. Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe.
• Kaczmarek, J.M., Piasecka, M. & Kaczmarski, M. (2018). Winter activity of the smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris in Central Europe. The Herpetological Bulletin 144: 31–32.
• Koç, H., Bülbül, U. & Kutrup, B. (2018). Is the Spiny-tailed Lizard Darevskia rudis (Bedriaga, 1886) Active All Year? Ecologia Balkanica, 10 (1): 47-51.
• Kotsakiozi, P., Jablonski, D., Ilgaz, Ç., Kumlutaş, Y., Avcı, A., Meiri, S., Itescu, Y., Kukushkin, O., Gvoždík, V., Scillitani, G., Roussos, S.A., Jandzik, D., Kasapidis, P., Lymberakis, P. & Poulakakis, N. (2018). Multilocus phylogeny and coalescent species delimitation in Kotschy's gecko, Mediodactylus kotschyi: Hidden diversity and cryptic species. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 125, 177-187.
• Kowalewski, L. (1974). Observations on the phenology and ecology of amphibia in the region of Częstochowa. Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia 19: 391-460.
• Kurnaz, M. & Şahin, M. K. (2021). Unusual Winter Activity Observations of Two Newt Species (Ommatotriton ophryticus & Triturus ivanbureschi) from the Anatolian Peninsula. Uluslararası Tarım ve Yaban Hayatı Bilimleri Dergisi, 7(2), 337-342.
• Kurnaz, M., Kutrup, B. & Bülbül, U. (2016). An Exceptional Activity for Darevskia derjugini (Nikolsky, 1898) from Turkey. Ecologica Balkanica, 8 (2): 91-93.
• Le Galliard, J. F., Massot, M., Baron, J. P. & Clobert, J. (2012). Ecological effects of climate change on European reptiles. Wildlife conservation in a changing climate, 179-203.
• Li, Y., Cohen, J. M. & Rohr, J. R. (2013). Review and synthesis of the effects of climate change on amphibians. Integrative Zoology, 8(2), 145-161.
• Mollov I., Georgiev. G. & Basheva, S. (2015). Is the Kotschy’s Gecko Mediodactylus kotschyi (Steindachner, 1870) (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) active during the winter? -ZooNotes, 84: 1-3.
• Moss, B. (2010). Ecology of fresh waters: a view for the twenty-first century. John Wiley & Sons. USA.
• Newton, E. J. & Herman, T. B. (2009). Habitat, movements, and behaviour of overwintering Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) in Nova Scotia. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 87(4), 299-309.
• Özkan, H. & Bülbül, U. (2021). The Winter Activity of the Endemic Lizard Species, Anatololacerta danfordi (Günther, 1876). Iğdır Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, 11(1), 99-105.
• Porter, W. P., Mitchell, J. W., Beckman, W. A. & DeWitt, C. B. (1973). Behavioral implications of mechanistic ecology. Oecologia, 13(1), 1-54.
• Rugiero, L. (1995). Winter activity of a Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis) population in central Italy. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 2: 148–152.
• Şahin, M. K. (2021). Unusual mating behavior of Apathya cappadocica in the winter season from southeastern Anatolia. Scientific Reports in Life Sciences.
• Sas, I., Roşioru, C. L., & Covaciu-Marcov, S. D. (2012). Note on eight new thermal habitats with winter-active amphibians in Western Romania North-Western. Journal of Zoology, 8: 382-385.
• Shterbak, N. & Golubev, M. (1986). Gekonyi faunyi SSSR i sopredelnyih stran. Opredelitel. (Geckos of the fauna of USSR and the surrounding countries. Field guide). Publ.
• Sidis, I. & Gasith, A. (1985). Food Habits of the Caspian Terrapin (Mauremys caspica rivulata) in Unpolluted and Polluted Habitats in Israel. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, 19(1), 108–115.
• Stojanov, A., Tzankov, N. & Naumov, B. (2011). Die Amphibien und Reptilien Bulgariens. Frankfurt: Chimaira Verlag. 582 p.
• Stone, P. A., Marinoni, H. M., Laverty, S. & Fenwick, A. M. (2021). Winter Activity in a Northern Population of Mediterranean Geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus). Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 16(2), 405-411.
• Tinkle, D.V. & Hadley, N.F. (1973). Reproductive effort and winter activity in the viviparous Montane Lizard Sceloporus jarrovi. Copeia, 1973: 272-277.
• Tosunoğlu, M., Gül, Ç. & Uysal, İ. (2017). Çanakkale Amfibi ve Sürüngenleri. Orman ve Su İşleri Bakanlığı, 1–71.
• Tzankov, N., Popgeorgiev, G., Naumov, B., Stojanov, A., Kornilev, Y., Petrov, B., Dyugmedzhiev, A., Vergilov, V., Dragomirova, R., Lukanov, S. & Westerström, A. (2014). Opredelitel na zemnovodnite i vlechugite v Priroden Park "Vitosha (Identification guide of the amphibians and reptiles in Vitosha Nature Park), Directorate of Vitosha Nature Park, Bulgaria.
• Ultsch, G. R. (1989). Ecology and Physiology of Hibernation and Overwintering Among Freshwater Fishes, Turtles, and Snakes. Biological Reviews, 64 (4): 435-516.
• Ultsch, G.R. (2006). The ecology of overwintering among turtles: where turtles overwinter and its consequences. Biol. Rev. Camb. Philos. Soc. 81: 339–367.
• Vitt, L. J. & Caldwell, J. P. (2009). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles. 3rd Edition. Academic Press, San Diego. 697 pp.
• Vitt, L. J. & Caldwell, J. P. (2013). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles. Academic press. USA.
• Vongrej, V., Smolinský, R., Bulánková, E. & Jandzik, D. (2008). Extraordinary winter activity of the green lizard Lacerta viridis (Laurenti, 1768) in southwestern Slovakia. Herpetozoa, 20(3/4), 173.
• Wessels, J. L., Carter, E. T., Hively, C. L., Hayter, L. E. & Fitzpatrick, B. M. (2018). Population viability of nonnative Mediterranean house geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus) at an urban site near the northern invasion front. Journal of Herpetology, 52(2), 215-222.
• Westerström, A. (2005). Some notes on the herpetofauna in Western Bulgaria. In Herpetologia Petropolitana. Proceedings of the 12th Ordinary General Meeting of the Societas Europaea Herpetologica, St. Petersburg (pp. 241-244).
• Winter, M., Fiedler, W., Hochachka, W. M., Koehncke, A., Meiri, S. & De La Riva, I. (2016). Patterns and biases in climate change research on amphibians and reptiles: a systematic review. Royal Society Open Science, 3(9), 160158.
• Yıldız, M. Z. (2020). Herpetofauna of Kilis Province (Southeast Anatolia, Turkey). Amphibian & Reptile Conservation, 14(2), 145-156.
• Zug G.R., Vitt, L. J. & Caldwell, J. P. (2001). Herpetology. USA. San Diego Academic Press.