Rediscovery, range extension, phylogenetic relationships and updated diagnosis of the Ornate Long-tailed Lizard Latastia ornata Monard, 1940 (Squamata: Lacertidae).

The lacertid Latastia ornata was known to date only by its holotype collected in 1938 in Bafatá, central Guinea-Bissau. We report new specimens and localities from Guinea-Conakry, a new country record and major range extension of 700 km SE of the type-locality. We provide an updated diagnosis of the species, including the first genetic and osteological data, and confirm that Latastia ornata is closely related to, but distinct from, L.

Using multilocus approach to uncover cryptic diversity within lizards from Saudi Arabia.

The agamid lizards inhabit the mountainous areas of the Arabian Peninsula and eastern North Africa. Currently six species are recognised, though diagnostic morphological characters are still lacking, creating great difficulty in describing new species. Recently, two specimens of were collected from the vicinity of Riyadh in central Saudi Arabia, an area that was not sampled in previous phylogenetic studies.

Biogeography of Mesalina (Reptilia: Lacertidae), with special emphasis on the Mesalina adramitana group from Arabia and the Socotra Archipelago.

The lacertid lizards of the genus Mesalina inhabit the arid regions of the Old World, from North Africa to NW India. Of the 19 recognized species within the genus, eleven occur in Arabia. In this study, we explore the genetic variability and phylogeographic patterns of the less studied M.

Integration of nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences and morphology reveals unexpected diversity in the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca) species complex in Central and West Africa (Serpentes: Elapidae).

Cobras are among the most widely known venomous snakes, and yet their taxonomy remains incompletely understood, particularly in Africa. Here, we use a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences and morphological data to diagnose species limits within the African forest cobra, Naja (Boulengerina) melanoleuca. Mitochondrial DNA sequences reveal deep divergences within this taxon.