Acta Herpetologica 10(1): 1-6, 2015 ISSN 1827-9635 (print) © Firenze University Press ISSN 1827-9643 (online) www.fupress.com/ah DOI: 10.13128/Acta_Herpetol-16160 Obituary: Valery K. Eremchenko (1949-2014) Leo J. Borkin1, Tatjana Dujsebayeva2, Roberto Sindaco3, Matthias Stöck4 1 St. Petersburg, Russia 2 Almaty, Kazakhstan 3 Turin, Italy 4 Berlin, Germany On 14 April 2014 a leading herpetologist of Central Asia and a former member of the Societas Herpetologi- ca Italica, Valery Konstantinovich Eremchenko (Fig. 1), passed away in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, after several years of severe illness. Valery is survived by his second wife Anna Zemtseva and two daughters: Victoria (now in Israel) and Darya (a schoolgirl, in Bishkek). We lost a remarkable expert of the herpetofauna of Middle Asia, a friend and collaborator. An obituary containing a brief biography was recently published on Amphibia-Reptilia (AMRE, Borkin et al., 2015). There- fore, below are only listed the main steps of the scientific career of V.K. Eremchenko. For more details, please read the aforementioned obituary, which appeared in AMRE. 1949 - Dr. Eremchenko was born on June, 27, in Morozo- vsk, Rostov Province, U.S.S.R. (now Russian Federation). 1970 - Technical assistant at the Institute of Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic, Frunze (now Bishkek). 1977 - Valery attended the 4th Soviet Herpetological Con- ference in Leningrad, where he was introduced to the herpetological community of the former Soviet Union. 1977 - Graduated from the Frunze State University with a Diploma in Biology, including the license to teach biol- ogy and chemistry in normal schools. 1979-1981 - Probationer of research (research stazhor) in the Laboratory of Vertebrates, the Institute of Biol- ogy, Academy of Sciences of the Kirghiz SSR, Frunze. 1980 - Eremchenko (together with Valentina Toropova, his first wife) published his first paper in herpetology devoted to reptilian fauna of the Tokmak town environs (Chu Valley); formerly they published several papers in ornithology. 1981 - Senior laboratory technician, and after several months, Junior research fellow, a first permanent research position in the former U.S.S.R. Fig. 1. Valery Konstantinevich Eremchenko in 2005 (photograph courtesy François Soulard, Traversees). 2 L.J. Borkin et alii 1981 - Postgraduate student at the Institute of Zoology, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in Kiev, advised by N. N. Szczerbak. 1984 - Eremchenko successfully defended his thesis at the Institute of Zoology, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in Kiev and received the Candidate of Science degree, an equivalent to a Ph.D. 1985 - Senior research fellow at the Institute of Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Kirghiz S.S.R.. 1988 - Head of the Zoological Museum at the Institute of Biology, from then on the leading Kirghiz S.S.R. scientific institution in herpetology. 1990 - In October Eremchenko and some colleagues, including Leo Borkin, were invited scientists to Chengdu, China, by Prof. Zhao Ermi and other Chinese herpetolo- gists. It was Valery’s first visit outside the former Soviet Union. 1992 - In July Valery participated in the First Asian Her- petological Meeting, held in Huangshan, China. 2004 - Head of the exhibition department in the Kyrgyz- Russian (Slavic) University. 2008 - Valery retired. After the collapse of Soviet Union (December 1991), unlike other scientists who left the previous Soviet Republics due to growing nationalistic pressure and eco- nomic disaster, Valery decided to stay in the now inde- pendent Kyrgyz Republic. In a “first world” country, one can only roughly imag- ine what it means surviving and performing scientific research in a country ranging in the lowest third of world poverty. During this period, Valery struggled for both, the continuation of his scientific work and surviving with his family in a rapidly transforming country that was shaken by several regime changes since. Valery continued various herpetological studies in the Kyrgyz Republic and neigh- boring parts of Kazakhstan, in cooperation with herpetol- ogists from several countries: Russia (Leo J. Borkin), Swit- zerland (Notker Helfenberger, Gaston Guex), Kazakhstan (Tatiana Dujsebaeva), Italy (Emilio Balletto, Cristina Gia- coma, Roberto Sindaco), and Germany (Matthias. Stöck, at the time, Berkeley and Lausanne), sometimes supported by the Russian Foundation of Basic Research and Earth- watch Institution (USA). From 2005, Valery also started working for regional offices of NABU, a German NGO, devoted to nature conservation in Central Asia, where he got employed under several contracts until 2014. He was a member of the Soviet Herpetological Society (now A.M. Nikolsky Herpetological Society, St.  Petersburg), Asiatic Herpetological Society (Berkeley, Chengdu) and Italian Herpetological Society (Turin). According to personal files, kept at the Bishkek Insti- tute of Biology and Soil, Eremchenko (co-) authored at least 55 full papers, mostly in Russian; five of them were devoted to birds of Kirghizia. His name Eremchenko was transliterated also as Jeremčenko (scientific translitera- tion), Jeriomtschenko, and Yeriomchenko. His herpetologi- cal publications spanned the period from 1977-2011, and primarily covered systematics, distribution, and faunis- tics of amphibians and reptiles of Kyrgyzstan, and other republics of former Soviet Middle Asia. Valery described 17 new taxa of reptiles, most of these descriptions and names are still valid (Table 1). In honor of Valery, a  mountain skink from Kyrgyzstan, Asymblepharus eremchenkoi Panfilov, 1999 has been described. This list of zoological papers was compiled to the best of our ability, but may be incomplete. In the last years, Valery published in local magazines that have been virtually inaccessible to us. Despite our efforts, it was not possible to obtain further information from Kyrgyz insti- tutions or from his former colleagues. 1. Toropova, V.I., Eremchenko, V.K. (1975): [On winter feeding of long-eared owl Asio otus L. in condition of cultural landscape]. Izvestiya Academii Nauk Kir- gizskoy S.S.R. [=  Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. Kyrgyz S.S.R.], Frunze 5: 67-68. [in Russian]. 2. Toropova, V.I., Eremchenko, V.K. (1977): [Additions to the list of nesteing birds of Chu Valley]. In: Yurlov, K.T. (ed.). [Migrations of Birds in Asia]. Nauka Press, Trudy Biologicheskogo Institut, Sibirskogo otdeleni- ya Akademii nauk SSSR [Trans. Biol. Inst., Siberian Branch, USSR Acad. Sci.], Novosibirsk 33: 222. [in Russian]. 3. Eremchenko, V.K., Szczerbak (“Shcherbak”), N.N. (1980): [About generic allocation of ablepharid lizards (Reptilia, Sauria, Scincidae) of fauna of the U.S.S.R.]. Vestnik Zoologii [Bull. Zool.], Kiev 4: 10-15. [in Rus- sian, with English summary]. 4. Eremchenko, V.K., Szczerbak (“Shcherbak”), N.N. (1980): [A new species of lidless lizard - Ablepha- rus lindbergi sp. n. (Reptilia, Sauria, Scincidae) from Afghanistan]. Vestnik Zoologii [Bull. Zool.], Kiev 6: 84-86. [in Russian, with English summary]. 5. Toropova, V.I., Eremchenko, V.K. (1980): [On the breeding of the Common Stonechat (Saxicola torqua- ta L.) in Kirgiziya]. Problemi bioecologii zhivotnikh i rasteniy i okhrana okruzhaushchei sredi [The prob- lems of animal and plant biology and environment protection.]. Sbornik dokladov molodikh uchenikh Instituta biologii Academii nauk Kirgizskoi S.S.R. [= Collected Reports of Young Scientists Inst. Biol. Acad. Sci. Kyrgyz S.S.R.] Ilim Press, Frunze: 47-48. [in Rus- sian]. 6. Toropova, V.I., Eremchenko, V.K. (1980): [Migrations of birds in Kar-Kara (Kirghizia)]. In: Abdusalyamov, 3Obituary I.A. (ed.), [Migrations of Birds in Asia]. Dushanbe: Donish Press: 119-125. [in Russian]. 7. Toropova, V.I., Eremchenko, V.K. (1980): [Spe- cies composition and number of reptile fauna in the environs of Tokmar town]. In: Tokobaev, M.M., Kozhevnikova, N.D. (Eds.), [Geography of Plant and Animal Life of Kirghizia]. Izvestiya Kirghizsko- go Geographicheskogo Obshchestva [= Proc. Kyrgyz Geogr. Soc.] 14: 94-96. [in Russian]. 8. Eremchenko, V.K., Shukurov E.D. (1981): The find- ing of the Turkestan agama Agama lehmanni (Nik.) in Kirghizia. Izvestiya Academii Nauk Kirgizskoy S.S.R. [= Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. Kyrgyz S.S.R.], Frunze 2: 65. [in Russian]. Table 1. Reptile taxa described by V.K. Eremchenko Original name Authors Journal Present name / Status Family GEKKONIDAE Alsophylax (Altiphylax) tokobajevi n. sp. Jeriomtschenko and Szczerbak, 1984 Vestnik Zoologii, Kiev, 2: 47-50 Altiphylax tokobajevi (Eremchenko & Szczerbak, 1984) Altiphylax n. subgen. Jeriomtschenko and Szczerbak, 1984 Vestnik Zoologii, Kiev, 2: 47 accepted genus Cyrtopodion narynensis n. sp. Eremchenko, Tsarinenko and Panfilov, 1999 Izvestiya Natsionalnoy Academii Nauk Kyrgyzskoy Respubliki, Bishkek, 3-4: 48-55 Mediodactylus narynensis (Eremchenko, Tsarinenko & Panfilov, 1999) Family LACERTIDAE Dimorphea n. subgen. Eremchenko, 1999 Izvestiya Natsionalnoy Academii Nauk Kyrgyzskoy Respubliki, Bishkek, 1: 73 accepted subgenus Eremias kokshaaliensis n. sp. Eremchenko and Panfilov, 1999 Nauka i Novye Tekhnologii, Bishkek, 4: 118-120. accepted species Eremias multiocellata szczerbaki n. ssp. Eremchenko [“Jeriomtschenko”] and Panfilov, 1992 Konspect issledovanii po tsitogenetike i sistematike nekotorik asiatskik vidov (Scincidae i Lacertidae), Ilim Press, Bishkek: 69-71 Eremias szczerbaki Eremchenko and Panfilov, 1992 Eremias velox borkini n. subsp. Eremchenko and Panfilov, 1999 Nauka i Novye Tekhnologii, (1): 122-123 accepted subspecies Family SCINCIDAE Ablepharus darvazi n. sp. Jeriomtschenko et Panfilov, 1990 Izvestiya Academii Nauk Kirghizskoi S.S.R, khimiko-tekhnologicheskie i biologicheskie nauki, 4: 56-63 accepted species Asymblepharus n. gen. Eremchenko et Szczerbak (“Shcherbak”), 1980 Vestnik Zoologii, Kiev, 4: 10-15. accepted genus Asymblepharus alaicus yakovlevae n. ssp. Eremchenko, 1983 Vestnik Zoologii, Kiev 1983 (2): 35-42. accepted subspecies Asymblepharus ladacensis stimsoni n. ssp. Eremchenko [“Jeriomtschenko”], 1992 Konspect issledovanii po tsitogenetike i sistematike nekotorik asiatskik vidov (Scincidae i Lacertidae), Ilim Press, Bishkek: 58-65 accepted subspecies Asymblepharus mahabharatus n. sp. Jeremčenko, Shah and Panfilov, 1998 Izvestiya Natsionalnoy Academii Nauk Kyrgyzskoy Respubliki, Bishkek, 4: 42-43. accepted species Asymblepharus nepalensis n. sp. Eremchenko and Helfenberger, 1998 Izvestiya Natsionalnoy Academii Nauk Kyrgyzskoy Respubliki, Bishkek, 4: 41-45 accepted species Himalblepharus n. subgen. Eremchenko [“Jeriomtschenko”], 1987 Izvestiya Academii Nauk Kirgizskoy S.S.R., Frunze, khimiko- tekhnologicheskie nauki, 2: 54-57. accepted subgenus of Asymblepharus Kaestlea n. gen. Eremchenko and Das, 2004 Hamadryad, 28 (1-2): 43-50. accepted genus Livorimica n. gen. Eremchenko, 2003 Izvestiya Vuzov, Bishkek, 1-2: 20-28. currently considered a synonym of Sphenomorphus (Nguyeng et al. 2011) Livorimica bacboensis n. sp. Eremchenko, 2003 Izvestiya Vuzov, Bishkek, 1-2: 20-28. Sphenomorphus bacboensis (Eremchenko, 2003) 4 L.J. Borkin et alii 9. Eremchenko, V.K. (1983): [Distribution and geo- graphical variability of Asymblepharus alaicus (Sau- ria, Scincidae)]. Vestnik Zoologii [Bull. Zool.], Kiev 2: 35-42. [in Russian, with English summary]. 10. Eremchenko, V.K., Szczerbak N.N. (1984): [A new gecko species (Reptilia, Gekkonidae) from Tien Shan]. Vestnik Zoologii [Bull. Zool.], Kiev 2: 46-50 [in Russian, with English summary]. 11. Eremchenko, V.K., Shurukov, E.F., Szczerbak, N.N. (1985): [Kashgar racerunner, Eremias buechneri - a new species for the U.S.S.R. fauna.]. Vestnik Zoologii [Bull. Zool.], Kiev 4: 79-80. [in Russian]. 12. Eremchenko, V.K., Szczerbak N.N. (1985): [Distribu- tion and ecology of the gecko, Alsophylax tokobajevi Jeriomtschenko et Szczerbak, 1984 (Reptilia, Gek- konidae)]. Izvestiya Academii Nauk Kirgizskoy S.S.R. [= Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. Kyrgyz S.S.R.], Frunze 3: 60-63. [in Russian]. 13. Eremchenko, V.K., Szczerbak N.N. (1986): [Ableph- arine Lizards of the Fauna of the U.S.S.R. and Neigh- boring Countries]. Ilim Press, Frunze. [in Russian]. 14. Eremchenko, V.K. (1987): [Systematics and relation- ships of Indo-Himalayan scincells (Sauria: Scinci- dae)]. Izvestiya Academii Nauk Kirgizskoy S.S.R., khimiko-tekhnologicheskie nauki [= Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. Kyrgyz S.S.R., Chem.-Tech. Sciences], Frunze, 2: 54-57. [in Russian]. 15. Szczerbak, N.N., Eremchenko, V.K. (1987): [New findings of reptiles on the territory of the U.S.S.R.]. Vestnik Zoologii [Bull. Zool.], Kiev 5: 85. [in Rus- sian]. 16. Eremchenko, V.K. (1988): [Amphibians and reptiles of Kirghizia]. Izvestiya Academii Nauk Kirgizskoy S.S.R. khimiko-tekhnologicheskie [= Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. Kyrgyz S.S.R., Chem.-Tech. Sciences], Frunze, (1987) 4: 26-30. [in Russian] 17. Eremchenko, V.K. (1989): [Scheme of treatment of collection specimens of reptiles. 1b. Skinks of the gen- era Ablepharus - Asymblepharus]. In: Szczerbak N.N (ed.). Rukovodstvo po Izucheniyu Zemnovodnykh i Presmykayushchikhsya [Handbook to the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles]. Kiev: I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, Academy of Sciences, Ukrainian S.S.R.: 30-31. [in Russian]. 18. Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov, A.M. (1989): [Karyology- cal study of Asymblepharus alaicus (Elpat., 1901); Sau- ria, Scincidae]. Izvestiya Academii Nauk Kirgizskoy S.S.R., khimiko-tekhnologicheskie nauki [= Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. Kyrgyz S.S.R., Chem.-Tech. Sciences] (1988) 4: 88-92. [in Russian]. 19. Tokobaev, M.[M.], Toropova, V.[I.], Eremchenko V.[K.] (1989): Movement to the harmony. In: Priroda i Chelovek: 1989 god [Nature and Man: 1989]. Kyrgyzs- tan Press, Frunze: 17-21. [in Russian]. 20. Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov, A.M. (1990): [Ablepha- rus darvazi sp. nov. - a new species of the lidless skink (Sauria, Scincidae) from Tadjikistan.]. Izves- tiya Academii Nauk Kirghizskoi S.S.R, khimiko- -tekhnologicheskie i biologicheskie nauki 4: 56-63. [in Russian]. 21. Eremchenko, V.K. (1992): [On systematics of Asym- blepharus ladacensis (Gunther, [sic!] 1864), (Sauria: Scincidae, Lygosominae), pp. 58-65. In: Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov, A.M, Tsarinenko, E.I. (Eds.), [Research conspectus on cytogenetics and systematics of some Asian species of the Scincidae and Lacertidae]. Ilim Press, Bishkek. [in Russian]. 22. Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov, A.M., Tsarinenko E.I. (1992): [Eremias multiocellata-complex: solution of some disputable problems of systematics of multio- cellated racerunners of Kirghizia (Sauria, Lacertidae, Eremias), pp.  65-80. In: Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov, A.M, Tsarinenko, E.I. (Eds.), [Research conspectus on cytogenetics and systematics of some Asian species of the Scincidae and Lacertidae]. Ilim Press, Bishkek. [in Russian]. 23. Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov, A.M., Tsarinenko, E.I. (1992): [Catalogue of the collection of amphibians and reptiles of the Zoological Museum of the Insti- tute of Biology of the Academy of Sciences of the Republics of Kyrgyzstan], pp. 91-176. In: Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov, A.M, Tsarinenko, E.I. (Eds.), [Research conspectus on cytogenetics and systematics of some Asian species of the Scincidae and Lacertidae]. Ilim Press, Bishkek. [in Russian]. 24. Panfilov, A.M., Eremchenko, V.K. (1992). [Multiple NORs in reptiles], pp. 5-57. In: Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov, A.M, Tsarinenko, E.I. (Eds.), [Research conspectus on cytogenetics and systematics of some Asian species of the Scincidae and Lacertidae]. Ilim Press, Bishkek. [in Russian]. 25. Tsarinenko, E.I., Eremchenko, V.K. (1992): [Variation in the Kirghiz racerunner Eremias nicolskii [sic!] Bed- riaga, 1905 (Sauria, Lacertidae), pp.  80-90. In: Erem- chenko, V.K., Panfilov, A.M, Tsarinenko, E.I. (Eds.), [Research conspectus on cytogenetics and systematics of some Asian species of the Scincidae and Lacerti- dae]. Ilim Press, Bishkek. [in Russian]. 26. Eremchenko, V.K., Helfenberger, N., Shah, K., Panfi- lov, A.M. (1998): [Two new species of skinks (Scin- cidae: Ligosominae sic!) from Nepal]. Izvestiya Nat- sionalnoy Academii Nauk Kyrgyzskoy Respubliki [= Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. Kyrgyz Republic], Bishkek 4: 41-45. [in Russian] 5Obituary 27. Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov, A.M., Kasiev, ?, Port- nyagina, V.I. (1998): [What frightens experts of the Union of Scientists of Kyrgyz.Republic]. Bulleten Obshchestvennogo Tsentra Ekologicheskoi Informatsii [Bull. Pub. Cent. Ecol. Inform.], Bishkek 8: 3-5. 28. Eremchenko V.K. (1999): [Nomenklatura aziatski- kh jašcurok Eremias Wiegmann, 1834 v svjazi s pro- ceduroj posledujušcego oboznacenija monotipii]. Izvestija natsional’noj Academii Nauk Kyrghyzskoj Respubliki [= Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. Kyrgyz Republic], Bishkek 1: 72-73. 29. Eremchenko, V.K. (1999): [Nomenclature of Asian racerunners Eremias Wiegmann, 1834 in connection with procedure of subsequent designation of monoty- py (Sauria: Lacertidae)]. Izvestiya Natsionalnoy Aca- demii Nauk Kyrgyzskoy Respubliki [= Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. Kyrgyz Republic], Bishkek 1: 72-73. [in Russian]. 30. Eremchenko. V.[K.], Panfilov, A[M.] (1999): [Taxo- nomic position and geographic relations of a lacertid lizard Eremias velox from the Issyk-Kul Lake Depres- sion, Tien Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan]. Nauka i Novye Tekhnologii [Science and New Technologies], Bishkek, special issue 1, pp. 119-125. 31. Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov, A.M. (1999): [Taxonomic position and biogeographic connections of Alsophylax loricatus Strauch, 1887 (Reptilia: Gekkonidae)]. Nau- ka i Novye Tekhnologii [Science and New Technolo- gies], Bishkek 2: 182-183. [in Russian, with very short English summary]. 32. Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov, A.M. (1999): [Some methodological problems of taxonomy and phyloge- ny of toad agamas on the example of Phrynocephalus helioscopus (Pallas, 1771) (Sauria: Agamidae)]. Nau- ka i Novye Tekhnologii [Science and New Technolo- gies], Bishkek 3: 116-122 [in Russian, with very short English summary]. 33. Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov A.M. (1999): [Taxonomic position of multiocellated racerunners of the Eremias multiocellata complex of Kyrghyzstan and neighbour China (Sauria: Lacertidae: Eremias)]. Nauka i Novye Tekhnologii [= Science and New Technologies], Bish- kek 4: 112-124. [in Russian, with very short English summary]. 34. Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov, A.M., Borkin, L.J., Helfenberger, N. (1999): [New data on the distribu- tion of Ablepharus deserti Strauch, 1868 in Kazakh- stan and Kyrghyzstan, with notes on ecology and cytogenetics]. Izvestiya Natsionalnoy Academii Nauk Kyrgyzskoy Respubliki [= Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. Kyrgyz Republic], Bishkek 4: 106-109. [in Russian]. 35. Eremchenko, V.K., Tsarinenko, E.I., Panfilov, A.M. (1999): [Intraspecific relations in geckos Cyrtopodion russowii (Strauch) and taxonomic position of Tien Shan population]. Izvestiya Natsionalnoy Academii Nauk Kyrgyzskoy Respubliki [= Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. Kyrgyz Republic], Bishkek 3-4: 48-55. [in Russian]. 36. Panfilov, A.M., Eremchenko, V.K. (1999): [New data on karyology of six species of skinks (Sauria: Scinci- dae) of Eurasia]. Science and New Technologies, Bish- kek 2: 61-67. [in Russian]. 37. Panfilov, A.M., Eremchenko, V.K. (1999): [Localisa- tion of active NORs in karyotypes of five species of Middle Asian geckos. Izvestiya Natsionalnoy Aca- demii Nauk Kyrgyzskoy Respubliki [= Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. Kyrgyz Republic], Bishkek 2: 83-84 [in Rus- sian]. 38. Balletto, E., Borkin, L.J., Castellano, S., Dujsebayeva, T., Eremchenko, V., Giacoma, C., Lattes, A., Odierna G. (2000): Sistematica e filogenesi nel complesso di Bufo viridis Laurenti, 1768. Riv. Idrobiol., Perugia 38: 199-220. 39. Delpero, M., Cervella, P., Borkin, L.J., Dujsebayeva, T., Eremchenko, V.K., Balletto, E. (2000): Random ampli- fied polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis of Asiatic population [sic!] of the Bufo viridis complex. In: Gia- coma, C. Ed, Atti [del] I Congresso Nazionale della Societas Herpetologica Italica (Torino, 2-6 Ottobre 1996). Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Torino: 299-304. 40. Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov, A.M., Tsarinenko, E.I. (2000): [New data on distribution of reptiles of Tien Shan and north-eastern Gissar-Alai Mountains]. Vest- nik Kirgizskogo Gosudarstvennogo Natsionalnogo Universiteta, Bishkek, series 3, natural sciences, n. 2, biological sciences, biotechnology: 25-28. [in Rus- sian]. 41. Panfilov, A.M., Eremchenko, V.K. (2000): [New data on distribution and biology of Alsophylax tokobaje- vi Jeriomtschenko et Szczerbak, 1984 (Reptilia, Gek- konidae]. Vestnik Kirgizskogo Gosudarstvennogo Natsionalnogo Universiteta, Bishkek, ser. 3, natural sciences, no. 2, biological sciences, biotechnology [= Bull. Kyrgyz State Nat. Univ., ser. 3, Nat. Sci., n. 2, Biol. Sci., biotec.], Bishkek: 53-54 [in Russian]. 42. Borkin, L.J., Eremchenko, V.K., Helfenberger, N., Pan- filov, A.M., Rosanov, J.M. (2001): On the distribution of diploid, triploid, and tetraploid green toads (Bufo viridis complex) in south-eastern Kazakhstan. Rus. J. Herpetol. 8: 45-53. [Errata-corrige in the vol. 8: 246]. 43. Cavallo D., De Vita R., Eleuteri P., Borkin L., Erme- chenko [sic !] V., Odierna G. & Balletto E. (2002): Karyological and flow cytometric evidence of triploid specimens in Bufo viridis (Amphibia Anura). Eur. J. Histochem. 46: 159-164. 6 L.J. Borkin et alii 44. Eremchenko, V.[K.] (2002): Family Scincidae (Skinks), pp. 723-768. In: Schleich, H.H., Kästle, W. (Eds.), Amphibians and Reptiles of Nepal. Biology, Systematics, Field Guide. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag KG, Ruggell (Switzerland). 45. Eremchenko, V.K. (2003): [Generic and specific redef- inition and redescription of the North-Vietnam skink Scincella melanosticta (Boulenger, 1887)]. Izvestiya Vuzov (= Proceedings of Higher Schools), Bishkek 1-2: 20-28. [in Russian]. 46. Eremchenko, V.K., Das, I. (2004): Kaestlea: a new genus of scincid lizards (Scincidae: Lygosominae) from the Western Ghats, south-western India. Hama- dryad 28: 43-50. 47. Stöck, M., Moritz, C., Hickerson, M., Frynta, D., Duj- sebayeva, T., Eremchenko, V., Macey, J.R., Papenfuss, T.J., Wake, D.B. (2006): Evolution of mitochondrial relationships and biogeography of Palearctic green toads (Bufo viridis subgroup) with insights in their genomic plasticity. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 41: 663- 689. 48. Borkin, L.J., Eremchenko, V.K., Panfilov A.M. [2007]: On the ecology of the gecko Teratoscincus scincus. Sovremennaya Gerpetologiya [Current Studies in Herpetology], Saratov 7: 16-56. [in Russian, with English summary]. 49. Eremchenko, V.K. (2007): [On the Middle Asian tor- toise (Testudo (Agrionemys) horsfieldii Gray, 1844) in Kyrgyzstan. Selevinia (Kazakhstansky Zoologiches- ky Zhurnal) [= The Zool. J. of Kazakhstan], Almaty (2006): 217. [in Russian]. 50. Sindaco, R., Jeremčenko, V.K. (2008): The Reptiles of the Western Palearctic. 1. 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Borkin1, Tatjana Dujsebayeva2, Roberto Sindaco3, Matthias Stöck4 Haplotype variation in founders of the Mauremys annamensis population kept in European Zoos Barbora Somerová1, Ivan Rehák2,*, Petr Velenský2, Klára Palupčíková1, Tomáš Protiva1, Daniel Frynta1 Reproductive ecology of Sichuan digging frogs (Microhylidae: Kaloula rugifera) Wei Chen1,*, Lina Ren2, Dujuan He2, Ying Wang2, David Pike3 Toxic effects of carbaryl on the histology of testes of Bufotes variabilis (Anura: Bufonidae) Özlem Çakici Basal frequency of micronuclei and hematological parameters in the Side-necked Turtle, Phrynops hilarii (Duméril & Bibron, 1835) María A. Latorre 1,2,*,#; Evelyn C. López González1,2, #; Pablo A. Siroski1,2,3; Gisela L. Poletta1,2,4 Into a box interiors: clutch size variation and resource allocation in the European pond turtle Marco. A.L. Zuffi1,*, Simonetta Citi2, Elena Foschi1, Francesca Marsiglia1, Eva Martelli1 Where to “Rock”? Choice of retreat sites by a gecko in a semi-arid habitat Andreia Penado1,2, Ricardo Rocha3,4,*, Marta Sampaio3, Vanessa Gil3, Bruno M. Carreira3, Rui Rebelo3 Age structure, growth and longevity in the common toad, Rhinella arenarum, from Argentina Clarisa de L. Bionda1,2,*, Silvia Kost 4, Nancy E. Salas1, Rafael C. Lajmanovich3, Ulrich Sinsch4, Adolfo L. Martino1 On a putative type specimen of Pleurodema bibroni Tschudi, 1838 from Chile (Anura: Leptodactylidae) Daiana Paola Ferraro Re-description of the external morphology of Phyllomedusa iheringii Boulenger, 1885 larvae (Anura: Hylidae), with comments on the external morphology of tadpoles of the P. burmeisteri group Samanta Iop¹, Victor Mendes Lipinski¹, Bruno Madalozzo¹, Franciele Pereira Maragno¹, Sonia Zanini Cechin¹, Tiago Gomes Dos Santos² Book Review: Harold Heatwole, John W. Wilkinson (Eds). Amphibians Biology. Volume 11 - Status of conservation and decline of Amphibians. Eastern Hemisphere. Part 4 . Southern Europe and Turkey Sebastiano Salvidio Book Review: Antonio Romano. Atlante degli anfibi del Parco Nazionale del Cilento Vallo di Diano e Alburni - Distribuzione, biologia, ecologia e conservazione Sebastiano Salvidio ACTA HERPETOLOGICA Journal of the Societas Herpetologica Italica