Amphibians and Reptiles in the Subterranean Cavities of the Crimean Mountains

Ilya S. Turbanov, Oleg Vitaljevich Kukushkin, Robert S. Vargovitsh

Abstract


The current paper summarizes old and recent herptiles records in the karst cavities of the Crimean Mountains, highlighting also the means of entry of poikilothermic vertebrates into the karst. It was found that the underground habitats are on purpose utilized by some amphibians and reptiles, characterized by mostly crepuscular and/or night activity as well as by the pronounced ability to move on the vertical surfaces and, in many cases, by the synanthropization tendency. One of the prerequisites for the animals’ entry to the karst might be their habitat’s conditions such as arid climate, absence of the forest, harsh winters at the upper distribution limit.

Keywords


Amphibia; Reptilia; karst; subterranean habitats; Crimean Peninsula

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2019-26-1-29-53

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