Geographical Distribution of , , and Their Hybrids in South Korea.

The Chinese striped-necked turtle , introduced into South Korea presumably in 2012, is considered an invasive alien species owing to its devastating impact, including hybridization with the native protected species Reeves' turtle . Recently, the presence of has been confirmed throughout the country, and several sympatric areas with have been reported. Thus, field surveys were conducted at 47 sites across and habitats in South Korea to determine the extent of hybridization.

The establishment of ecological conservation for herpetofauna species in hotspot areas of South Korea.

Understanding the geographic distribution of species is crucial for establishing protected areas. This study aimed to identify the preferred habitat environment of South Korean herpetofauna using distribution point information, providing the information necessary to protect their habitat by establishing a species distribution model. We found that climate variables in the region where 19 amphibians and 20 reptiles were distributed correlated with the altitude, suggesting that altitude had a major influence on their distribution.

Ozobranchus jantseanus (Clitellata: Ozobranchidae) from Reeve's Turtle, Mauremys reevesii: New Annelid Fauna in Korea.

Turtle leeches have not been recorded in Korea, although they occur in geographically adjacent countries including China and Japan. This study describes a turtle leech, Ozobranchus jantseanus (Clitellata: Ozobranchidae), found from Reeve's turtle (Mauremys reevesii) in Korea. Of the 143 Reeve's turtles collected from the freshwater reservoir in Jinju City, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea, 95 unidentified leeches were found in 8 (5.

Distribution Change of Invasive American Bullfrogs () by Future Climate Threaten Endangered Suweon Treefrog () in South Korea.

The American Bullfrog () has been imported into South Korea in earnest for food since the 1970s and introduced into nature due to release and escape. Accordingly, the influx and spread of American Bullfrogs are expected to have a direct impact on native species, but few related studies have been conducted on this. We predicted changes in the potential distribution and future distribution based on climate change scenarios to analyze how those changes affect critically endangered Suwon treefrogs.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Small Salamander in Korea, (Anura: Hynobiidae).

The complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of was sequenced and characterized. The circular mt genome constituted of 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, and 2 ribosomal RNAs) and a non-coding region (NCR). Phylogenetic analysis based on the full mt genome sequences confirmed that was closely related to rather than other species.

Northward dispersal of sea kraits (Laticauda semifasciata) beyond their typical range.

Marine reptiles are declining globally, and recent climate change may be a contributing factor. The study of sea snakes collected beyond their typical distribution range provides valuable insight on how climate change affects marine reptile populations. Recently, we collected 12 Laticauda semifasciata (11 females, 1 male) from the waters around southern South Korea-an area located outside its typical distribution range (Japan, China including Taiwan, Philippines and Indonesia).

Life History of a Unique Asian Plethodontid Salamander, Karsenia koreana.

Using preserved specimens, we studied the basic life history of the topotypic population of the unique Asian plethodontid salamander, Karsenia koreana. Of 51 individuals examined, 11 males and 13 females were judged as mature from the development of gonads. The ovarian eggs were large (diameter 3.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of and (Squamata: Scincidae).

Here, we report the complete mitochondrial genomes of the skink species and . The mitogenomes were determined to be 17103 bp for and 17212 bp for . The mitogenomes consist of 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and two non-coding regions.