ИСТИНА

We conducted research on the herpetofauna of the Mediterranean ecosystems on the Abrau Peninsula (northeastern coast of the Black Sea) since 1990. Broad-leaf forests, Juniper-pistachio light forests and shiblyak cover the low mountains of this part of the North-Western Caucasus. Herpetofauna here is very rich thanks to the diversity of the habitats. Eight species of amphibians (Lissotriton vulgaris, Triturus karelinii, Pelobates fuscus, Bufo verrucosissimus, Pseudepidalea viridis, Hyla arborea, Rana macrocnemis, Pelophilax ridibundus) and 15 species of reptiles (Testudo graeca, Emys orbicularis, Anguis fragilis, Pseudopus apodus, Lacerta agilis, L. media, Darevskia praticola, D. brauneri, Hierophis caspius, Platyceps najadum, Zamenis longissimus, Elaphe sauromates, Natrix natrix, N. tessellata, Pelias renardi) inhabit the Abrau Peninsula. 4 species of amphibians and 11 species and subspecies of reptiles are included into the Red Data Book for the Krasnodar region (2007) and 9 species of herptiles are in the Red Data list of IUCN. Most of the amphibians and reptiles inhabit dry subtropical ecosystems on slopes of the south-eastern and southern exposure along the coast of the sea. Utrish reserve was created on the Abrau Peninsula in 2010. The reserve covers mainly deciduous forests of the peninsula, and thus the dry subtropical ecosystem is the preferred habitat of the herpetofauna remained beyond its borders. Our task is to preserve the unique fauna of amphibians and reptiles of this region.