Ivona Burić

The Mosor rock lizard, Dinarolacerta mosorensis (Kolombatović, 1886), is an understudied lacertid species. It is geographically isolated within the Dinaric Alps and is categorized as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Historical and newly collected records were evaluated to assess the distribution, range, and conservation status of the Mosor rock lizard. Our results show that most range localities and suitable habitats are found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, whereas Croatia comprises less than 2% of the total global range. We extended the species’ range further north and reconfirmed its presence west of the Neretva River. In total, we identified 33 localities—encompassing mountains, canyons, and plateaus—of which nine are new. The maximum elevation at which the species has been documented is 2,031 m a.s.l., with 91% of records occurring above 1,000 m a.s.l. The Area of Occupancy (AOO), calculated using 2 × 2 km grids, is 528 km², whereas the Extent of Occurrence (EOO) is estimated at 18,725.34 km². Despite significant variation in protected area coverage among countries, 44% of the species’ known AOO is within protected areas. Given that global climate change is the main threat to this species, there is an urgent need for targeted data collection and improved management strategies to ensure its long-term protection.

Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni) is listed as “Near threatened” in the IUCN Red list of endangered species. The importance of protecting the Hermann’s tortoise populations and its habitats have led to the inclusion of the species within CITES Convention (Annex II), Annex A of EU Wildlife Trade Regulation, Annex II of the Bern Convention and Annexes II and IV of the EU Habitats Directive. To assess the distribution and status of the eastern Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri) in Croatia, historical and recent records were gathered and analyzed. The species was recorded in all three biogeographical regions in the country, but it’s native to the Mediterranean and a small part of the Alpine region. With the increase of recent surveys and the use of citizen science platforms, the known range of the species in Croatia was increased by 35.8% and is now encompassing 123 10 × 10 km EEA reference grid cells. Most records (66%) originate from lower elevations (up to 199 m), and the highest was recorded at 570 m. Sparse forests are the most preferred habitats, followed by semi-open habitats, such as grasslands and shrubs. The most serious threat to the species is natural succession due to the increased abandonment of traditional farming and grazing. Other threats include touristic infrastructure and urban development, transportation, illegal collecting, and invasive species. The Area of Occupancy calculated using 2 × 2 km grids resulted in an AOO of 1,372.00 km², while Extent of Occurrence (EOO) is calculated to be 18,145.07 km². The current network of National protected areas includes 14% of the species’ AOO while the designated Natura 2000 areas include 29.30% of its AOO. We propose to designate an additional 10 Natura 2000 areas to help with the long-term protection of the species.

Mosor is a small mountain massif situated in central Dalmatia, above the cities of Split and Omiš. It was never a target of any systematic butterfly surveys, with its fauna remaining almost completely unknown. During our surveys from 2011 to 2020, we recorded 96 butterfly species at 60 localities. With the literature record of Polyommatus ripartii, a total of 97 species are recorded from Mt. Mosor. The comparison with the published lists of the neighbouring lower Mt. Kozjak and much higher Mt. Biokovo revealed that the butterfly richness of Mt. Mosor is intermediate, with 87 and 116 species recorded from those mountains, respectively. The biogeographical composition of all three mountains is, however, similar, with the dominant Euro-Siberian and Euro-Oriental faunistic elements comprising together about 80% of the species. For some species with scarce information for Croatia or Dalmatia, like Papilio alexanor, Zerynthia polyxena, Parnassius mnemosynae, Aricia anteros, Polyommatus escheri, Melitaea aurelia, Proterebia phegea, and Neptis rivularis, new records are discussed.

Vlažna staništa pružaju mnoge usluge ekosustava, npr. služe kao prirodne retencije poplavnih voda, a mogu biti i područja za rekreaciju šire javnosti. Predstavljaju i životno važna staništa za brojne životinjske vrste, stoga su mnoga vlažna staništa pod nekim stupnjem zaštite. Unatoč tomu, fauna mnogih vlažnih staništa i dalje je većinom nepoznata, posebice po pitanju kornjaša. Nepoznavanje faune određenog područja otežava upravljanje istim. Jedna takva lokacija je šuma Turopoljski lug, smještena jugoistočno od glavnog grada Zagreba. Terensko istraživanje provedeno je od ožujka do rujna 2017. Koristile su se četiri metode: kečiranje, zamke s mamcima na stablima, svjetlosne zamke s UV žaruljama po noći i sakupljanje rukom. Rezultatima je pridodano i nekoliko nalaza od ranije. Ukupan broj poznatih vrsta kornjaša za Turopoljski lug podignut je s 51 na 133. Devet vrsta imaju gotovo ugrožen IUCN status ugroženosti, od kojih je sedam saproksilnog načina života. Iz područja su poznate tri vrste navedene u Dodacima II i IV Direktive o staništima, od kojih smo zabilježili samo Cerambyx cerdo. Također, pronađen je zanemaren nalaz iz literature za četvrtu – Phryganophilus ruficollis. Potrebno je preispitati i, po potrebi, izmijeniti dosadašnji način upravljanja šumom. Buduća usmjerena istraživanja određenih skupina kornjaša trebala bi uroditi dodatnim povećanjem broja vrsta poznatih za lug, dok bi ciljano kartiranje prisutnosti vrsta s Dodataka iznjedrilo prijeko potrebne podatke za zaštitu prirode.

The pond slider Trachemy scripta was one of the most commonly exported turtles until the last decade and often released into the wild outside its native range. It was introduced to Europe, Africa, South America and Asia and included on the EU list of 100 World's Worst Invasive Alien Species and the List of invasive alien species of Union concern. The import of the subspecies Trachemys scripta elegans into Europe and Croatia has been banned for some time, but the number of specimens recorded in nature is still increasing. In this paper we present 45 new localities were the species was observed in Croatia, which makes a total of 84 known localities. Most of the records, 58%, are in the Continental biogeographical region and the rest in the Mediterranean. It has not yet been recorded for the Alpine biogeographical region. Most records (42%) come from ponds. Three new sightings of females digging nests, laying eggs and sightings of hatchlings were recorded, suggesting successful reproduction of the species. Further surveys of this alien species in Croatia are needed.