Microhabitat selection is central to ectotherm ecology, influencing thermoregulation, activity, and spatiotemporal activity patterns. We studied the thermal ecology and sex- and age-class encounter patterns of the Snake-eyed Lizard (Ophisops elegans) in two adjacent agricultural microhabitats in western Anatolia: a structurally complex Agroforestry Mosaic Habitat (AMH) and an exposed Open Cropland Thermal Habitat (OCTH). From March to September 2024, we collected 1,031 observations recording sex, age, ambient temperature, and activity timing. Thermal responses differed markedly: OCTH activity was tightly temperature-constrained with a defined optimum (T-opt = 34.4 degrees C), while AMH showed a weak, statistically non-significant thermal response (p = 0.336), precluding reliable estimation of a thermal optimum. OCTH displayed a more concentrated seasonal activity peak, though daily timing was similar between sites. Sex ratios showed no clear seasonal variation in AMH but varied seasonally in OCTH, with increased female encounter probability in mid-August-early September (p = 0.002). Juvenile occurrence also differed: AMH showed low juvenile occurrence with no clear thermal/temporal structure, while OCTH supported high, temperature- and time-constrained juvenile activity (p < 0.005). These findings suggest fine-scale microhabitat heterogeneity in agricultural landscapes may be associated with differences in temperature-linked spatiotemporal activity patterns within populations, though with only one site per type, habitat and site effects cannot be fully separated. Further studies are needed to confirm these patterns.
Seasonal variations in the dietary composition of the insectivorous African Five-lined skink, Trachylepis quinquetaeniata (Lichtenstein, 1823), were investigated in an agricultural area of Ausim, Giza Governorate, Egypt. The study was conducted between March 2024 and March 2025. This study aimed to describe and compare the dietary composition of T. quinquetaeniata among seasons, sexes, and age classes. Stomach contents of 210 individuals were examined, and seasonal, sex-related, and age-related variations in prey composition were assessed. Overall, when adults and sub-adults were considered together, the number of prey items per lizard was highest in spring, followed by winter, autumn, and summer. Adult males generally had a higher number of prey items per lizard than females, while adults had a higher number of prey items per lizard than sub-adults in spring, summer, and autumn, whereas sub-adults had a higher value in winter. The diet was dominated by insects of the orders Hymenoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, and Hemiptera throughout the study period. Adult females exhibited the greatest dietary richness (9 insect orders), followed by adult males (8 orders) and sub-adults (5 orders). The recorded prey included several arthropod groups that contain economically important agricultural pest species, including sap-sucking (Hemiptera and Thysanoptera), defoliating (Orthoptera and Lepidoptera), and wood- and stem-feeding insects (Coleoptera). These findings improve our understanding of the feeding ecology of T. quinquetaeniata in Egyptian agricultural ecosystems and highlight its potential ecological role through the consumption of insect groups that include agricultural pests.
Freshwater fishes are the most species-rich vertebrate group, comprising about half of all fish species, and one of the most threatened, with 26% of assessed species at risk of extinction globally, but national-scale syntheses for biodiversity-rich arid regions like T & uuml;rkiye remain scarce. This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of T & uuml;rkiye's freshwater fish conservation status, integrating IUCN Red List assessments for 359 of the 367 native species, in 30 families. Results show that 39% of assessed species are threatened, well above the 26% global figure for freshwater fishes. For endemic species the risk rises to 58%, and six species are already extinct. Extinction risk is concentrated in specific families, including Aphaniidae, Gobionidae, Oxudercidae, and Cobitidae, which share vulnerabilities as habitat specialists with restricted ranges. Water abstraction is the primary stressor, often co-occurring with climate change, pollution, and natural system modifications. Spatial analysis reveals a mismatch between total native richness (highest in Black Sea and Tigris-Euphrates drainages) and threatened-species richness (concentrated in the SW-Anatolian Lakes Region, lower Orontes, and Central Anatolia). Consequently, species richness alone is an unreliable guide to where threatened species are concentrated. These findings support a catchment-centered approach focusing on environmental flow protection and abstraction management to protect T & uuml;rkiye's globally significant freshwater fish biodiversity.
Prolonged vessel lay-up allows fouling assemblages to accumulate before ships re-enter transport networks, creating an acute biosecurity hazard for the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) Sea Area (RSA) and the ports it connects to. Preparedness requires biological targets, not vector and pathway information alone. Drawing on the validated RSA biosecurity baseline, we identify seven extant very high-priority benthic fouling species associated with shipping and port environments, and cross-check them against an independent metabarcoding and photographic survey of the Saudi Gulf coast. Eight baseline species were recovered by that survey, including three of the seven; two further species classified as horizon in the baseline were also detected, constituting new occurrence evidence requiring verification. We set these targets within a five-component species-vessel-port prioritisation and define its scope, limitation and refinement. Regional source-species baselines, kept responsive to independent records, are a prerequisite for species-targeted inspection and surveillance in the RSA.
