A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE HABITAT SELECTION OF EUROPEAN GLASS LIZARD (PSEUDOPUS APODUS) IN SOUTHEAST BULGARIA
IVAN TELENCHEV1*, DANIELA SIMEONOVSKA-NIKOLOVA1, NIKOLAY NATCHEV2, NIKOLAY TZANKOV3
1 – Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd., Sofia, Bulgaria
2 – Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Shumen University, Universitetska Str. 115, Shumen, Bulgaria; Department for Integrative Zoology, Vienna University, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna, Austria
3 – Department of Vertebrates, National Museum of Natural History – BAS 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd, Sofia , Bulgaria
*Corresponding author: i.telenchev@abv.bg
Keywords: Anguidae, environmental parameters, habitat preference, interspecific interactions
Abstract: The living area of the European glass lizard, Pseudopus apodus (Pallas, 1775) (also known as Scheltopusik) falls from the Balkan peninsula to the West and to Middle Asia to the East. In Bulgaria the main distribution of the species is concentrated in the southeastern part of the country and the Black Sea coast. However, the data concerning habitats selection and preferences of the species are scarce. In this connection, the main aim of this work was to do a preliminary study on the habitat selection of P. apodus in Southern Black Sea coast. The study was carried out in spring/summer period of 2014 near the protected areas “Poda”, “Izvorska River mouth”, the “Otmanli” area, and near Rezovo village. Several characteristics of the habitats, where P. apodus specimens were captured, such as: air temperature; humidity, habitat type and dominant plant species, distance to water/or wet area, distance to main roads, a number of other reptilian species, were described and discussed. Although more data are necessary to clarify all important proximate and ultimate factors, determining the habitat selection of P. apodus, the obtained results revealed some specifics in its habitat preferences – presence of shrubs, large stones and/or ruins and also the presence of wet areas. For sure, detailed knowledge of habitat selection of the legless lizard, P. apodus will be relevant to its preservation in hot spot areas.