The distribution and biogeography of the genus Anguis in the Western Palearctic | Taxonomy / Publications

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The genus Anguis comprises of five species throughout the Western Palearctic, with several contact zones in Europe, which have until now remained poorly known. They exhibit almost identical morphology and are sometimes impossible to distinguish within their overlap zones. 

A recent paper published in Amphibia-Reptilia provides detailed distribution maps of slow worm species across Europe and Western Asia based on updated genetic data, with emphasis on 'grey zones'. 

Reference

Jablonski, D., et al. (2021). The distribution and biogeography of slow worms (Anguis, Squamata) across the Western Palearctic, with an emphasis on secondary contact zones. Amphibia-Reptilia 42.4: 519-53. Full-text here.

Left: Peloponnese slow worm
Right: Distribution of the genus Anguis