Galium transcarpaticum was described in 1979 as an endemic occurring exclusively in the Ukrainian Carpathians. Since then, little has been contributed to its taxonomy and distribution, and only a few specimens have been collected. We successfully isolated DNA and amplified nuclear (ITS) and plastid (trnH-psbA, atpB-rbcL, trnL (c-d), and trnL (e-f)) markers from G. transcarpaticum isotype specimens deposited at the LWS herbarium. The obtained results do not allow delimiting G. transcarpaticum as an independent species, but rather place it within G. mollugo. Hence, the new combination Galium mollugo subsp. transcarpaticum (Stojko & Tasenk.) A.V.Novikov, Nachychko & Zinenko is proposed.

Galium transcarpaticum was described in 1979 as a stenoendemic occurring exclusively in the Ukrainian Carpathians. Since then, little has been contributed to its taxonomy and distribution, and only a few specimens have been collected. We successfully isolated DNA and amplified nuclear ( ITS ) and plastid ( trn H- psb A, atp B- rbc L, trn L (c-d), and trn L (e-f)) markers from G. transcarpaticum isotype specimens deposited at the LWS herbarium. The obtained results do not allow delimiting G. transcarpaticum as an independent species, but rather place it within G. mollugo . Hence, the new combination Galium mollugo subsp. transcarpaticum (Stojko & Tasenk.) A.V.Novikov, Nachychko & Zinenko.

Biodiversity genomics research can inform conservation, management, and policy, including implementation and monitoring linked to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). Still, its societal relevance depends on how research is designed and interpreted with the people who live in, work with, and care for the species and places being studied. Local Communities often hold Local Ecological Knowledge that can improve sampling design, contextualise genomic patterns, and support the translation of findings into practice. Yet, community participation in biodiversity genomics remains limited, partly because researchers may lack practical guidance, training, incentives, or time for engagement. Here, we propose a five-step framework for engaging European Local Communities in biodiversity genomics projects. The framework covers early relationship building, respect for local context and knowledge, co-creation of research roles, transparent benefit sharing, and long-term knowledge transfer. We also outline biodiversity genomics-specific points that require early discussion, including biological sampling, genomic sequence data, genetic variant data, analytical outputs, associated ecological and locality information, Digital Sequence Information, repository deposition, interpretation, and reuse. The framework is intended as a practical starting point for research teams, funders, and community collaborators seeking to make biodiversity genomics research more transparent, locally informed, and useful for conservation decision-making.

The semiterrestrial leech Haemopis elegans Moquin-Tandon, 1846 is widely distributed across Europe, though its eastern range limit remains poorly defined. This study examines the hypothesis that environmental conditions east of the Lviv region in Ukraine are unsuitable for the establishment of H. elegans, resulting in its observed range limit. Specimens of H. elegans were collected from Pohulianka Park in Lviv, western Ukraine, and their morphological characteristics were examined. In addition, a specimen from Argentr & eacute;, France, was included in the study. Molecular phylogenetic analysis was performed using mitochondrial DNA markers (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) to confirm species identity, assess genetic diversity, and reveal phylogenetic relationships within the species. To predict the species' potential distribution under current environmental conditions, species distribution modeling was applied using occurrence records and key environmental variables. Morphological analysis confirmed the distinguishing features of H. elegans, such as body coloration and reproductive system traits, in comparison to the related and sympatric H. sanguisuga (Linnaeus, 1758). Our findings reveal distinct genetic differences among populations within the species' range, including the identification of new haplotypes in Ukraine and France. Both morphological and molecular data support the co-occurrence of for H. elegans east of its known range, while field surveys and genetic data confirm its absence or discontinuity in those areas.

The distribution of steppe vipers in Azerbaijan remains fragmented and insufficiently known. Here we reconfirm and update old records from the Talysh Mountains' border region between Azerbaijan and Iran that have been regarded as Iranian steppe viper, originally described as Vipera ursinii ebneri Knoepffler & Sochurek, 1955, having experienced multiple taxonomic changes up to recently as V. eriwanensis ebneri (V. renardi complex). Based on colour pattern and a few meristic data of newly photographed and/or collected steppe vipers in the Talysh Mountains and two mitochondrial genes, we re-evaluate their taxonomic position.

A guilt of three phenotypically and ecologically similar, but phylogenetically distinct lineages of grassland vipers inhabit Western Asia: Tiirkiye, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Iran. Their official threat statuses were assessed > 14 y ago by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN 2025): Anatolian Steppe Viper Vipera anatolica (CR: Critically Endangered, one of only 10 globally with that status), Southern Steppe Viper V. renardi eriwanensis (sensu lato; VU: Vulnerable), and Darevsky's Viper V. darevskii (CR). Nonetheless, information on their distribution, ecology and systematics has remained scarce, a situation seriously affecting effective conservation strategies. Ten years ago, we began building a database by screening literature and online/social media accounts, improving precision of published records by contacting article/account authors, and complementing it with our own records from annual field expeditions. Herein we summarize the largely increased information on the first two vipers, V. anatolica and V. renardi eriwanensis (sensu lato), latter encompassing all populations south of the Greater Caucasus previously assigned to taxa eriwanensis, shemakhensis, and ebneri. In total, we present 293 localities at > 0.5 km (anatolica) and 1 km (eriwanensis) distance between localities, including three (anatolica) and 95 new localities (eriwanensis). Furthermore, with new details from journal and social media records, we refined/published 16 (anatolica) and 175 (eriwanensis) localities, respectively. Comprehensive distribution updates and some genetic data on the eriwanensis complex allowed a finer taxonomic evaluation and detection of a first hybridization (contact zone) with V. r. lotievi, all of which ultimately helps to better tailor conservation needs.

Lack of widespread sampling of vipers from western Asia has led to inadequate knowledge of their dis-tributions. This has negatively impacted threat assessments by the International Union for the Conservation of Na-ture (IUCN) 15 y ago that remain today. Darevsky's Viper Vipera darevskii (sensu lato) is one of the affected species, representing one of only 10 viper species categorized globally as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Aside from 124 individuals sampled for a multi-year conservation project within 10 km of the southern Javakheti Mountains, Armenia, only 70 individuals of V. darevskii (sensu lato) from northeastern Tiirkiye (Turkey) and the Lesser Cau-casus of Georgia and Armenia have been noted in publications. Consequently, we conducted 17 expeditions from 2013 to 2025 to collect distribution, genetic, and some morphological data on vipers of West Asia. We also made a comprehensive literature review, and we screened common herpetological networks and social media, whose authors we usually contacted for precise information. We generated a highly improved database on V. darevskii (sensu lato) across its range, resulting in 68 distinct localities at > 1 km between localities, including V. sakoi, its closely related western taxon. More than half (38) represent new localities, some with additional confirmations, while two published misidentifications were corrected. We confirmed Darevsky's Viper in three new provinces, and we refined information from 27 published localities (journals, project reports). This resulted in substantial range extensions of up to about 100 km, and more importantly, included several undocumented mountain ranges. The updated distribution and taxonomic consideration we present is thus crucial in future threat assessments and conservation needs for the Darevsky's Viper.

Despite decades of molecular research, phylogenetic relationships in Palearctic vipers (genus Vipera) still essentially rely on a few loci, such as mitochondrial barcoding genes. Here we examined the diversity and evolution of Vipera with ddRAD-seq data from 33 representative species and subspecies. Phylogenomic analyses of similar to 1.1 Mb recovered nine major clades corresponding to known species/species complexes which are generally consistent with the mitochondrial phylogeny, albeit with a few deep discrepancies that highlight past hybridization events. The most spectacular case is the Italian-endemic V. walser, which is grouped with the alpine genetic diversity of V. berus in the nuclear tree despite carrying a divergent mitogenome related to the Caucasian V. kaznakovi complex. Clustering analyses of SNPs suggest potential admixture between diverged Iberian taxa (V. aspis zinnikeri and V. seoanei), and confirm that the Anatolian V. pontica corresponds to occasional hybrids between V. (ammodytes) meridionalis and V. kaznakovi. Finally, all analyzed lineages of the V. berus complex (including V. walser and V. barani) form vast areas of admixture and may be delimited as subspecies. Our study sets grounds for future taxonomic and phylogeographic surveys on Palearctic vipers, a group of prime interest for toxinological, ecological, biogeographic and conservation research.

Infectious diseases are influenced by interactions between host and pathogen, and the number of infected hosts is rarely homogenous across the landscape. Areas with elevated pathogen prevalence can maintain a high force of infection and may indicate areas with disease impacts on host populations. However, isolating the ecological processes that result in increases in infection prevalence and intensity remains a challenge. Here we elucidate the contribution of pathogen clade and host species in disease hotspots caused by Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, the pathogen responsible for snake fungal disease, in 21 species of snakes infected with multiple pathogen strains across 10 countries in Europe. We found isolated areas of disease hotspots in a landscape where infections were otherwise low. O. ophidiicola clade had important effects on transmission, and areas with multiple pathogen clades had higher host infection prevalence. Snake species further influenced infection, with most positive detections coming from species within the Natrix genus. Our results suggest that both host and pathogen identity are essential components contributing to increased pathogen prevalence. A large-scale study in Europe elucidating the contribution of pathogen clade and host species in disease hotspots caused by Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, the pathogen responsible for snake fungal disease.

Mycotic lesions of the skin of snakes are often associated with the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, but other pathogens can cause similar signs. A skin sample from a wild Nikolsky's viper (Vipera berus nikolskii) with dermal lesions was collected in eastern Ukraine. A pure fungal culture was obtained and identified using nucleotide sequence analysis as the entomopathogenic species Beauveria bassiana sensu lato. Although Beauveria spp are considered to be non-pathogenic in vertebrates, sporadic infections have been reported. This report highlights the need to explore various pathogens when diagnosing the cause of snake integumentary lesions.

The chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a widespread fungus causing amphibian declines across the globe. Although data on Bd occurrence in Eastern Europe are scarce, a recent species distribution model (SDM) for Bd reported that western and north-western parts of Ukraine are highly suitable to the pathogen. We verified the SDM-predicted range of Bd in Ukraine by sampling amphibians across the country and screening for Bd using qPCR. A total of 446 amphibian samples (tissue and skin swabs) from 11 species were collected from 36 localities. We obtained qPCR-positive results for 33 samples including waterfrogs (Pelophylax esculentus complex) and fire- and yellow-bellied toads (Bombina spp.) from 8 localities. We found that Bd-positive localities had significantly higher predicted Bd habitat suitability than sites that were pathogen-free. Amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of samples with the highest Bd load revealed matches with ITS haplotypes of the globally distributed BdGPL strain, and a single case of the BdASIA-2/BdBRAZIL haplotype. We found that Bd was non-randomly distributed across Ukraine, with infections present in the western and north-central forested peripheries of the country with a relatively cool, moist climate. On the other hand, our results suggest that Bd is absent or present in low abundance in the more continental central, southern and eastern regions of Ukraine, corroborating the model-predicted distribution of chytrid fungus. These areas could potentially serve as climatic refugia for Bd-susceptible amphibian hosts.

A field biologist was bitten by a female Nikolsky’s viper (Vipera berus nikolskii) in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. Two months later, the patient began to experience cold-induced vasospasm of the affected digit diagnosed as acquired Raynaud phenomenon. The patient had more than 30 occurrences during the single winter following the bite, but the signs and symptoms of Raynaud phenomenon disappeared with the end of winter. This report describes the case and puts it into context with the literature on the topic of toxin-induced peripheral vasospastic disorders and their potential importance in snakebite envenoming.

For the ongoing range shifts under climate change, it is essential to have reference information on the current presence of the species. In recent years, there has been an increase in observations of thermophilic reptiles outside their historical range in Ukraine. The distribution of the Caspian whipsnake, a common snake in southern Ukraine, appeared to be poorly documented at the northern edge of its range due to low density under sub-optimal conditions at the edge of the range. Here we provide verified observations of the Caspian whipsnake from the Mohyliv-Podilsky (formerly Yampil) district of the Vinnytsia region. These data considerably extend and specify the north-western limit of the range and, together with accompanying data on the frequency of species observations, support the hypothesis of a northward shift in the range of the species and/or a strong recent increase in the abundance of the species.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is responsible for a number of porcine circovirus-associated diseases (PCVAD) that can severely impact domestic pig herds. For a non-enveloped virus with a small genome (1.7 kb ssDNA), PCV2 is remarkably diverse, with eight genotypes (a–h). New genotypes of PCV2 can spread through the migration of wild boar, which are thought to infect domestic pigs and spread further through the domestic pig trade. Despite a large swine population, the diversity of PCV2 genotypes in Ukraine has been under-sampled, with few PCV2 genome sequences reported in the past decade. To gain a deeper understanding of PCV2 genotype diversity in Ukraine, samples of blood serum were collected from wild boars (n = 107) that were hunted in Ukraine during the November–December 2012 hunting season. We found 34/107 (31.8%) prevalence of PCV2 by diagnostic PCR. For domestic pigs, liver samples (n = 16) were collected from a commercial market near Kharkiv in 2019, of which 6 out of 16 (37%) samples were positive for PCV2. We sequenced the genotyping locus ORF2, a gene encoding the PCV2 viral capsid (Cap), for 11 wild boar and six domestic pig samples in Ukraine using an Oxford Nanopore MinION device. Of 17 samples with resolved genotypes, the PCV2 genotype b was the most common in wild boar samples (10 out of 11, 91%), while the domestic pigs were infected with genotypes b and d. We also detected genotype b/d and b/a co-infections in wild boars and domestic pigs, respectively, and for the first time in Ukraine we detected genotype f in a wild boar from Poltava. Building a maximum-likelihood phylogeny, we identified a sublineage of PCV2 genotype b infections in both wild and domestic swine, suggesting a possible epizootic cluster and an ecological interaction between wild boar and domestic pig populations in northeastern Ukraine.

Traits for prey acquisition form the phenotypic interface of predator-prey interactions. In venomous predators, morphological variation in venom delivery apparatus like fangs and stingers may be optimized for dispatching prey. Here, we determine how a single dimension of venom injection systems evolves in response to variation in the size, climatic conditions and dietary ecology of viperid snakes. We measured fang length in more than 1900 museum specimens representing 199 viper species (55% of recognized species). We find both phylogenetic signal and within-clade variation in relative fang length across vipers suggesting both general taxonomic trends and potential adaptive divergence in fang length. We recover positive evolutionary allometry and little static allometry in fang length. Proportionally longer fangs have evolved in larger species, which may facilitate venom injection in more voluminous prey. Finally, we leverage climatic and diet data to assess the global correlates of fang length. We find that models of fang length evolution are improved through the inclusion of both temperature and diet, particularly the extent to which diets are mammal-heavy diets. These findings demonstrate how adaptive variation can emerge among components of complex prey capture systems.

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The Meadow and Steppe viper, Vipera ursinii-renardi complex is a well-studied group that is divided into several morphological subspecies. In this study, we combine the analyses of two mitochondrial genes with 9 microsatellite markers to compare both phylogenetic signals. Whereas the signal is similar between both genomes within most subspecies, the relative relationships between subspecies are more differentiated. Moreover, the nuclear phylogenetic reconstruction supports genetic homogeneity within V. u. macrops (in contrast to mtDNA). Both genetic portions show an unexpected differentiation between a population from Bistra Mountain and other V. u. macrops populations. Globally, the microsatellite markers suggest high genetic diversity in most subspecies, even in V. u. rakosiensis which is highly threatened; only V. u. macrops showed a limited genetic diversity. Within lowland subspecies, the differentiation between populations is globally limited compared to the distance between them (except in some populations of V. u. moldavica ). The limited differentiation might be the consequence of a recent isolation (few decades) of previously large populations. Nevertheless, the only way to maintain this genetic diversity and to avoid an increase in genetic differentiation between populations in the future is to recreate suitable habitats and reconnect the populations.

Lamprophis erlangeri is a lamprophiid snake endemic to moist montane forest remnants and formerly forested areas in the south and south-west of the Ethiopian highlands. Its vernacular name Ethiopian House Snake' is a result of century-long speculations about the generic placement of this species. New molecular and morphological data brought evidence that it has been misplaced in both genera of African house snakes', Lamprophis and Boaedon. A new genus is de-scribed to auommodate L. erlangeri. It represents a sister clade to the Western and Central African genera Bothrophthal-mus and Bothrolycus from which it differs by general body form and proportions, head shape, number of preocular scales, absence of loreal pits, maxillary dentition as well as by a number of cranial features. The type locality of the type species of the new genus, originally Somaliland', is restricted in this paper to Abera in Ethiopia. Lamprophis abyssinicus, the second Ethiopian endemic in this genus is assigned again to the genus Pseudoboodon on a basis of similar external morphology and cranial osteology. In the course of this revision of systematic affinities in Lamprophis and Boaedon, also the status of the genus Alopecion, considered to represent a junior synonym of these genera, is revalidated. It is reinstated as a valid monotypic genus, to include L. guttatus, a South-African species with similarly turbulent taxonomic history as of L. er-langeri. Cranial osteology of L. erlangeri, L. abyssinicus, and L. guttatus is analysed for the first time. Morphological, eco-logical and behavioural characters of the related genera Alopecion, Boaedon, Bothrolycus, Bothrophthalmus, Lamprophis, Lycodonomorphus, Pseudoboodon, and of the new genus are reviewed and compared.

A new ground-dwelling species of treefrog in the genus Leptopelis is described from the Harenna Forest in south-eastern Ethiopia. The description is based on morphology and acoustics and is supported by molecular data. The new species has a small body size, and the digital discs on fingers and toes are significantly more conspicuous than in other semi-fossorial members of the L. gramineus complex. It occupies forest habitats at lower altitudes and is separated ecologically and geographically from high-altitude species of the complex. One of them, a parapatric cryptic species from Bale and Arsi Mountains, is resurrected from synonymy of L. gramineus and given a new name, L. montanus. Genetic barcoding of specimens from both populations showed that they belong to two distinct lineages that had been revealed by recent phylogenetic research. To confirm the geographic separation of the studied populations, the collection area of L. gramineus types was verified through analysis of the diary and the final report of the 2nd expedition of V. Bottego, and through matching of the route described in it with modern maps. The type locality of L. gramineus sensu stricto is restricted to Gamo Gofa, Ethiopia. Following the results of recent phylogenetic studies, the range of L. gramineus is limited to west of the Great Rift Valley. An identification key to the named Ethiopian species of the genus is provided.