A new record of Testudo graeca ibera PALLAS, 1814, in southern Serbia (A)

(A) The title was modified because the paper provides evidence for the extension of the known range only. Even under the conditions of the present rapid climate change, the most likely assumption is that T. graeca was simply overlooked at its distribution limits where it must be expected to be rare. @ SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 25 (3/4) Wien, 30. Dezember 2012 SHORT NOTE @ (K) Is this really a competent reference? (B) Range of altitudes covered by these mountains should be added. (C) Lowest altitude of the valley floors on Serbian territory should be added. (D) Which oak species? A new record of Testudo graeca ibera PALLAS, 1814, in southern Serbia (A) Until the beginning of the 21st century, the known distribution of the Spur-thighed Tortoise Testudo graeca ibera PALLAS, 1814, in the Balkan Peninsula was restricted to FYR of Macedonia, Greece, the European part of Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania (GASc et al. 1997); insufficient information was available on its occurrence in southeast Albania (HAxHIU 1998). contemporary in - formation points to the species presence in a larger region of the southeastern Balkan Peninsula ((K)SOLER et al. 2009) from where its range extends across Asia Minor into the Levantine and caucasus area as far as Iran (BUSkIRk et al. 2001; SINDAcO & JEREM čenko 2008). There is, however, lack of knowledge about the distribution of T. graeca ibera in Serbia, in that only two records from the area in question were published thus far. The first dates back in 1943 and refers to three specimens from kosovska Mitrovica, deposited in Zoologische Staatssammlung, München (ZSM 1-3/2000) (BUSkIRk et al. 2001); the second comes from the village of čivčije in the Pčinja River Valley, close to the border to FYR of Macedonia (TOMOVIć et al. 2004). During the period May 9-13, 2011, a Serbian/Bulgarian research team (Bird Pro - tection and Study Society of Serbia, Habi - Prot and Balkani Wildlife Society) explored the extreme southeast and south of Serbia, i.e, the mountains of Rudina, Dukat, Besna kobila, kozjak and Rujan (B), including the valleys of Pčinja and Preševo (C), by mapping habitats and species of importance in the framework of the Natura 2000 network. The Preševo Valley is situated in the west of the Pčinja River Valley; both are morphologically separated by the Rujan Mt. (???? m) and, as an anthropogenic barrier, highway E75 that connects north and south Serbia. The habitats mainly consist of fragmented oak forests(d), dry, rocky pastures, and large acreages of agricultural land, employing a low level of mechanization. A single male specimen of T. graeca ibera (Fig. 1), about 19 cm in straight carapace length, was found on May 13, 2011, in the Preševo Valley, one km northwest of the village of Miratovac, at approximately 550 m altitude (42 16 19.70 N; 21 39 8.77 E; National Grid Reference UTM 10 km x 10 km EM58). The locality represents a small fragment of oak forest surrounded by shrubs, meadows and agricultural land, close to a tiny creek at the foothills of the Latinska Mt. (E) Since the specimen was retrieved by a West Siberian Laika dog, deployed for locating tortoises, there is some uncertainty as to the exact spot where the tortoise was found within a radius of up to 100 meters. Six Testudo hermanni GME LIN, 1789, were spotted in the surrounding area. Other recorded species of the batracho- and herpetofauna in place, included larvae of the Triturus cristatus (LAURENTI, 1768) complex, Bom bina variegata (LIN NAEUS, 1758), Lacerta viridis (LAURENTI, 1768), Podarcis muralis (LAU - RENTI, 1768), P. tauricus (PALLAS, 1814) and Vipera am modytes (LINNAEUS, 1758). Earlier records confirmed the presence of Lissotriton vulgaris (LINNAEUS, 1758), Pelophylax ridibundus (PALLAS, 1771), Natrix natrix (LINNAEUS, 1758), N. tessellata (LAURENTI, 1768) and Dolichophis caspius (GMELIN, 1789) in the Preševo Valley (crnobrnja-isailović, unpublished data). Except T. graeca, no reptile species typical and exclusive to the Mediterranean biogeographical provinces (MATVEJEV 1961) were recorded in the Preševo area thus far. For comparison, the insect fauna showed clear signs of intrusion of Medi - terranean elements: e.g., the Ortho pteroidea Bradyporus dasypus and Ameles decolor, as well as the Lepidoptera Anthocharis gruneri, Leptidea duponcheli, Spialia phlomidis and Iolana iolas (POPO VIć & MILEN - ković 2012; authors, pers. obs.). Information on the Serbian distribution of Mediterranean herpetofaunal elements (F) is fragmentary (TOMOVIć et al. 2004; RISTIć et al. 2006). The known sites are restricted to the western and eastern corners of southernmost Serbia, and surrounded by mountains. The Preševo Valley in the middle of south Serbia, is more exposed to various climatic oscillations and perhaps less hospitable to strictly thermophilic reptile species. (E) Why was this mountain not mentioned in the above enumeration of mountains? (F) Why do you call these places refugia? Didn t you speak of Mediterranean intrusion or penetration rather than isolation from the compact southern range area?

@ SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 25 (3/4) Wien, 30. Dezember 2012 SHORT NOTE @ Fig. 1: Male specimen of Testudo graeca ibera PALLAS, 1814, from Preševo Valley, south Serbia. (G) Moved from behind to here. (G)The species refugia during the last glacial period were in western Asia Minor, the southeastern Balkans, and western and central caucasus region, from where it started its Holocene return northward (FRITZ et al. 2007). Its present range was certainly shaped by climatic and orographic criteria, both in a historical and ecological context. It was presumed earlier that the distribution area of T. graeca in Serbia is strictly bound to habitats dominated by the Medi - terranean climate (TOMOVIć et al. 2004; RISTIć et al. 2006). However, in continental southeastern Europe, this species occurs in a wider range of habitats including altitudes up to 1300 m (VAN DIJk et al. 2004; SOLER et al. 2009). Thus, field herpetologists are encouraged to search for this tortoise beyond the margins of its known range.

@ SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 25 (3/4) Wien, 30. Dezember 2012 SHORT NOTE @ (H) How many kilometers? (I) Did you mean this? The Spur-thighed Tortoise is listed in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEc), in Appendix II of the Berne convention and in Appendix II of the cites convention. It is currently recognized as Vulnerable in the IUcN Red List (VANDIJk et al. 2004) and assigned as Strictly Pro - tected by Serbian law (ANONYMOUS 2010a, 2010b). As already suggested by TOMOVIć et al. (2004), Serbian populations of T. graeca ibera are marginal and thus, fragile in terms of viability. The new record extends the known distribution area of this species in Serbia (H) xxx kilometers to the west and to the other side of the highway separating it from the population in the Pčinja River Valley. Effective protection of fragmented populations requires the establishment of appropriate connectivity between isolates either through migration corridors or by active transport (I). A first step could be the inclusion of the Preševo Valley in conservation areas of the Emerald and Natura 2000 networks, as well as in Important Herpeto logical Areas of Serbia. This would accelerate the implementation of suitable management strategies including sustainable agriculture techniques essential for tortoise migrations and population viability. AckNOWLEDGEMENTS: We are grateful to U. FRITZ (Dresden) and A. kovatchev (Sofia) for valuable comments. The field study was partially supported by the project Wings Across the Balkans funded by the European commission, contract no. 226298, Rufford Small Grants Foundation project no. 9495 and Ministry of Education and Science of Republic of Serbia Grant no. 173025. REFERENcES: ANONYMOUS (2010a): Reg - ulation on proclamation and protection of strictly protected and protected plant, animal and fungi species. Official Gazette RS 5/10. [In Serbian]. ANONYMOUS (2010b): Regulation on proclamation and protection of strictly protected and protected plant, animal and fungi species. Appendix 1. Strictly protected species. Official Gazette RS 5/10. [In Serbian]. BUSkIRk, J. R. & keller, c. & ANDREU, A. c. (2001): Testudo graeca LINNAEUS, 1785 Maurische Landschildkröte; pp. 125-178. In: FRITZ, U. (Ed.): Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphibien Europas, Bd. III/A Schildkröten (Testu- dines) I (Bataguridae, Testudinidae, Emydidae); Wiebelsheim (Aula). FRITZ, U. & HUNDSDöRFER A. k. & ŠIROký, P. & AUER, M. & kami, H. & LEHMANN, J. & MAZANAEVA, L.F. & TüRkOZAN, O. & WINk, A. (2007): Phenotypic plasticity leads to incongruence between morphology-based taxonomy and genetic differentiation in western Palaearctic tortoises (Testudo graeca complex; Testudines, Testudinidae).- Amphi - bia-reptilia, Leiden; 28: 87-121. GASc, J.-P. & ca - BELA, A. & crnobrnja-isailović, J. & DOLMEN, D. & GROSSENBAcHER, k. & HAFFNER, P. & LEScURE, J. & MARTENS, H. & MARTíNEZ-RIcA, J. P. & MAURIN, H. & OLIVEIRA, M. E. & SOFIANIDOU, T. S. & VEITH, M. & ZUIDERWIJk, A. (Eds.) (1997): Atlas of amphibians and reptiles in Europe. Paris (Societas Europaea Herpetolo - gica, Muséum National d Histoire Naturelle & Service du Patrimoine Naturel [collection Patrimoines Natu - rels 29]. HAxHIU, I. (1998): The Reptilia of Albania: Species composition, distribution, habitats.- Bonner Zoologische Beiträge, Bonn; 48: 35-57. MATVEJEV, S. D. (1961): Biogeografija Jugoslavije.- Biološki institut NR Srbije, Monograph 9, Beograd (Naučna knjiga), pp. 232 pp. POPOVIć, M. & MILEN ković, M. (2012): First record of Anthocharis gruneri for Serbia (Lepidoptera: Pieridae).- Phegea, Berchem; 40 (1b): 37-38. RISTIć, N. & TOMOVIć, L. & AJTIć, R. & crnobrnja-isailović, J. (2006): First record of the four-lined snake Elaphe quatuorlineata (LAcéPèDE, 1789) in Serbia.- Acta Herpetologica, Firenze; 1 (2): 135-139. (K) SOLER, J. & MARTíNEZ SILVESTRE, M. & FERRáNDEZ, M. (2009): Testudo graeca ibera the Eurasian Spur-Thighed Tortoise in Romania.- Reptilia, Barcelona; 64: 39-44. TOMOVIć, L. & AJTIć, R. & ĐOkOVIć, Đ. & ANTIć, S. (2004): Records of Testudo graeca ibera PALLAS, 1814 in Serbia and Montenegro.- Herpetozoa, Wien; 17: 189-191. VAN DIJk, P. P. & corti, c. & MELLADO, V. P. & cheylan, M. (2004): Testudo graeca. In: IUcN 2012. IUcN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. Downloaded on 15 August 2012. keywords: Reptilia: Testudines: Testudini - dae, Testudo graeca ibera, Serbia, Preševo valley, new record, conservation, threat SUBMITTED: March 13, 2012 AUTHORS: Andrey RALEV, Balkani Wildlife Society, 67 Tsanko Tserkovski str, entr. 3, floor 2, apt. 3, Sofia 1421, Bulgaria < aralev@balkani.org >; Miloš POPOVIć (corresponding author < milos@habiprot. org.rs >) HabiProt, Zvezdanska 24, 19000 Zaječar, Serbia; Milan RUŽIć, Bird protection and Study Society of Serbia, Bate Brkića 18, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia < milruzic@yahoo.com >, Peter SHURULINkOV, Natio - nal Museum of Natural History Sofia, Bulgarian Aca - demy of Sciences, Tsar Osvoboditel, 1, 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria < p.shurulinkov@gmail.com >; Girgina DASkALOVA, Hadzhi Dimitur, 9, 8800 Sliven, Bulgaria < girginand@gmail.com >; Lachezar SPASOV, Balkani Wildlife Society, 67 Tsanko Tserkovski str, entr. 3, floor 2, apt.3, Sofia 1421, Bulgaria, < chesar@abv.bg > ; Jelka crnobrnja-isailović, Faculty of Sciences and Mathe - matics, University of Niš, Višegradska 33, 18000 Niš, Serbia; Institute for biological research Siniša Stanković, University of Beograd, Despota Stefana 142, 11000 Beograd, Serbia < jelka@pmf.ni.ac.rs > (K) Is this really a competent reference?

Erweiterung des Verbreitungsgebietes von Testudo graeca ibera Pallas, 1814 in Serbien @Only English title in Short Note@ Extension of distribution range @The paper does not provide evidence for range extension! Even under the conditions of the present rapid climate change, the most likely assumption is that T. graeca was simply overlooked at its distribution limits where it must be expected to be rare.@ A new record of Testudo graeca ibera PALLAS, 1814 in southern Serbia Until the beginning of the XXI 21st century, the known distribution data of the Spur-thighed Tortoise (Testudo graeca ibera PALLAS, 1814,) in the Balkan Peninsula was restricted to FYR of Macedonia, Greece, the European part of Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania (GASc et al. 1997); There were also indications about insufficient information was available on its occurrence of this species in southeastern Albania (HAxHIU 1998). contemporary information points on to the species presence in a larger region of the southeastern Balkan Peninsula (@Is this really a competent reference?@soler et al. 2009) from where its range extends across through Asia Minor and into the Levantine and caucasus area as far as Iran (BUSkIRk et al. 2001; SINDAcO & JEREMčENkO 2008 SolEr et al. 2009). There is, however, a particular lack of knowledge about the distribution of T. graeca ibera Spur-thighed Tortoise in Serbia, was not well known before the last decade in that only There were two records from the area in question, were published so thus far: The first dates back in 1943, related and refers to three specimens from kosovska Mitrovica, deposited in Zoologische Staatssammlung, Munich München (ZSM 1-3/2000) (BUSkIRk et al. 2001); the second came comes from the village of čivčije in the Pčinja River Valley, close to the border with to FYR of Macedonia (TOMOVIć et al. 2004). During the period May 9-13, May 2011, a Serbian/Bulgarian research team (Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia, HabiProt and Balkani Wildlife Society) explored far the extreme southeastern and southern parts of Serbia, i.e. e.g., the mountains of Rudina, Dukat, Besna kobila, kozjak and Rujan @Add range of altitudes covered by these mountains.@, including the valleys of Pčinja and Preševo @Add lowest altitude of the valley floors on Serbian territory.@, for by mapping habitats and species of importance for in the framework of the Natura 2000 network. The Preševo Valley is situated to in the west from of the Pčinja River Valley; but these two areas are both are morphologically separated by the Rujan Mt. (???? m) and, by as an anthropogenic barrier, main highway E 75 that connects north and south of northernmost and southernmost Serbia. Habitats mainly consist of fragmented oak forests@which oak species@, dry, rocky pastures, and large parts acreages of agricultural land, maintained mostly in a traditional way with employing a low level of mechanization.

A single male specimen of T. graeca ibera Spur-thighed Tortoise (Fig. 1), about 19 cm in straight carapace length, was found on the 13 th of May 13, 2011, in the Preševo Valley, one km northwest of the village of Miratovac, at approximately 550 m altitude (42 16 19.70 N; 21 39 8.77 E; National Greed Grid Reference UTM 10 km x10 km EM58). The locality represents a small fragment of oak forest surrounded by shrubs, meadows and agricultural land, close to a tiny creek at the foothills of the Latinska Mt. @Why was this mountain was not mentioned in the above enumeration of mountains?@ Since the specimen was brought retrieved by Sayan, a West Siberian Laika dog from the breed West Siberian laika, deployed for specialized in locating tortoises, so there is some uncertainty as to the exact spot where the tortoise was found could be within a radius of up to 100 meters away. Six Hermann s Tortoises (Testudo hermanni GMELIN, 1789) were seen spotted in the surrounding area. Other recorded species of the batracho- and herpetofauna in place, included larvae of the Triturus cristatus (LAURENTI, 1768) complex rafinesque 1815, Bombina variegata (LINNAEUS, 1758), Lacerta viridis (LAURENTI, 1768), Podarcis muralis (LAURENTI, 1768), P. tauricus (PALLAS, 1814) and Vipera ammodytes (LINNAEUS, 1758). Earlier records confirmed the presence of Lissotriton vulgaris (LINNAEUS, 1758), Pelophylax ridibundus (PALLAS, 1771), Natrix natrix (LINNAEUS, 1758), N. tessellata (LAURENTI, 1768) and Dolichophis caspius (GMELIN, 1789) in a the Preševo valley (crnobrnja-isailović, unpublished data). Except Spur-thighed Tortoise T. graeca, no reptile species typical and exclusive for to the Mediterranean biogeographical provinces (MATVEJEV 1961) were recorded in the Preševo area so that far. For comparison, the insect fauna of insects showed clear signs of intrusion of some Mediterranean elements: e.g., the Orthopteroidea Bradyporus dasypus (IllIGEr 1800), and Ameles decolor (CHArPEnTIEr 1825), as well as the Lepidoptera Anthocharis gruneri (HErrICH-SCHAFFEr 1851, Leptidea duponcheli (STAuDInGEr 1871), Spialia phlomidis (HErrICH- SCHAFFEr 1845), and Iolana iolas (ochsenheimer 1816), etc. (POPOVIć & MILENkOVIć 2012; authors pers. observ.). Generally Information on the Serbian distribution refugia @Why do you think these places to represent refugia? Didn t you speak of Mediterranean intrusion or penetration?@ of typical Mediterranean herpetofaunal elements in Serbia are known is only fragmentary (elaborated in TOMOVIć et al. 2004; and RISTIć et al. 2006). and These known refugia are restricted on to the western and eastern corners of southernmost Serbia and surrounded by mountains. on the contrary, The Preševo Valley is in the middle of south Serbia the area, is more open exposed to various climatic oscillations and perhaps less hospitable to strictly thermophilic reptile species. @Moved from behind to here@the species refugia during the last glacial period were in western Asia Minor, the southeastern Balkans and western and central caucasus region, from where it spread started its Holocene return northward toward the north (FRITZ et al. 2007). Thus, Its present

range distribution area was certainly probably have been shaped by climatic and orographic criteria, both in a historical and ecological -biogeographical factors context. It was presumed earlier that the distribution area of Spur-thighed Tortoise T. graeca in Serbia refers only is strictly bound to habitats strongly influenced with dominated by the Mediterranean climate (TOMOVIć et al. 2004; RISTIć et al. 2006). However, in continental southeastern Europe, this species occurs in a wider range of habitats in continental South-eastern Europe, including altitudes up to 1300 m altitude (VAN DIJk et al. 2004; SOLER et al. 2009). @Moved to the beginning of the paragraph@ Thus, its distribution area probably have been shaped by both historical and eco-biogeographical factors. The species refugia during the glacial period were Western Asia Minor, Southeastern Balkans and Western and Central Caucasus region, from where it spread toward the north (FrITz et al. 2007). Thus, field herpetologists are encouraged to search for this tortoise beyond the margins of its known range. The Spur-thighed Tortoise is listed in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEc), in Appendix II of the Berne convention and in the Appendix II of the cites convention. It is currently recognized as Vulnerable in the IUcN Red List (VANDIJk et al. 2004) and assigned as Strictly Protected by Serbian law (ANONYMOUS 2010a, 2010b). As already suggested by TOMOVIć et al. (2004), Serbian populations of T. graeca ibera are marginal and thus, fragile in terms of viability. Spurthighed Tortoise is already assigned as Strictly Protected by Serbian law (AnonyMouS 2010a, b). The new record extends the known distribution area of this species in Serbia @how many kilometres?@ more to the west and to the other side of the highway separating it from the population in the Pčinja River Valley. It points that Effective protection of local fragmented populations must requires the establishment of appropriate connectivity between anthropogenically isolates d populations (either through establishment of migration corridors or by active transport @did you mean this@ management). A first step could be the inclusion of the Preševo Valley in conservation areas such as Emerald and Natura 2000 networks, as well as in Important Herpetological Areas of Serbia. It This would accelerate the implementation of proper suitable management strategies (including sustainable agriculture techniques measures) necessary essential for tortoise migrations and population viability. AckNOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to Prof. Dr U. FRITZ (Dresden) and A. kovatchev (Sofia) for valuable comments. The field study was partially supported by the project Wings Across the Balkans funded by the European commission, contract no. 226298, Rufford Small Grants Foundation project no. 9495 and Ministry of Education and Science of Republic of Serbia Grant no. 173025.

REFERENcES ANONYMOUS (2010a): Regulation on proclamation and protection of strictly protected and protected plant, animal and fungi species. Official Gazette RS 5/10. [In Serbian]. ANONYMOUS (2010b): Regulation on proclamation and protection of strictly protected and protected plant, animal and fungi species. Appendix 1. Strictly protected species. Official Gazette RS 5/10. [In Serbian]. @Not mentioned in the text@ ArnolD, E.n. & ovenden, D.W. (2002): A field guide to the reptiles and amphibians of Britain and Europe. Harper Collins Publishers ltd., london, 288 pp. BUSkIRk, J. R. & keller, c. & ANDREU, A. c. (2001): Testudo graeca LINNAEUS, 1785 Maurische Landschildskröte; pp. 125-128178. In: FRITZ, U. (Ed.): Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphibien Europas, Bd. III/A Schildkröten (Testudines) I (Bataguridae, Testudinidae, Emydidae). Wiebelsheim (Aula). FRITZ, U. & HUNDSDöRFER A. k. & ŠIROký, P. & AUER, M. & kami, H. & LEHMANN, J. & MAZANAEVA, L.F. & TüRkOZAN, O. & WINk, A. (2007): Phenotypic plasticity leads to incongruence between morphology-based taxonomy and genetic differentiation in western Palaearctic tortoises (Testudo graeca complex; Testudines, Testudinidae).- Amphibia-Reptilia, Leiden; 28: 87-121. GASc, J.-P. & cabela, A. & crnobrnja-isailović, J. & DOLMEN, D. & GROSSENBAcHER, k. & HAFFNER, P. & LEScURE, J. & MARTENS, H. & MARTíNEZ-RIcA, J. P. & MAURIN, H. & OLIVEIRA, M. E. & SOFIANIDOU, T. S. & VEITH, M. & ZUIDERWIJk, A. (Eds.) (1997): Atlas of amphibians and reptiles in Europe. Paris (Societas Europaea Herpetologica, Muséum National d Histoire Naturelle & Service du Patrimoine Naturel [collection Patrimoines Naturels 29]. HAxHIU, I. (1998): The reptilia of Albania: Species composition, distribution, habitats.- Bonner Zoologische Beiträge, Bonn; 48: 35-57. MATVEJEV, S. D. (1961): Biogeografija Jugoslavije.- Biološki institut NR Srbije, Monograph 9, Beograd (Naučna knjiga), pp. 232. POPOVIć, M. & MILENkOVIć, M. (2012): First record of Anthocharis gruneri for Serbia (Lepidoptera: Pieridae).- Phegea, Berchem; 40 (1b): 37-38. RISTIć, N. & TOMOVIć, L. & AJTIć, R. & crnobrnja-isailović, J. (2006): First record of the four-lined snake Elaphe quatuorlineata (LAcéPèDE, 1789) in Serbia.- Acta Herpetologica, Firenze; 1 (2): 135-139. @Is this a suited reference?@soler, J. & MARTINEZ SILVESTRE, M. & FERRANDEZ, M. (2009): Testudo graeca ibera The Euroasian Spur-Thighed Tortoise in Romania.- Reptilia, Barcelona; 64: 39-44. TOMOVIć, L. & AJTIć, R. & ĐOkOVIć, Đ. & ANTIć, S. (2004): Records of Testudo graeca ibera PALLAS, 1814 in Serbia and Montenegro.- Herpetozoa, Wien; 17: 189-191. VAN DIJk, P. P. & corti, c. & MELLADO, V. P. & cheylan, M. (2004): Testudo graeca. In: IUcN 2012. IUcN Red List of Threatened Species.

Version 2012.1. Downloaded on 15 August 2012. @No German caption in Short Note@Abbildung 1. Männchen von T. graeca aus dem Presevo Tal Fig. 1: Male specimen of Testudo graeca ibera PALLAS, 1814, from Preševo valley, south Serbia. SUBMITTED: March 13, 2012 AUTHORS: Andrey RALEV, Balkani Wildlife Society, 67 Tsanko Tserkovski str, entr. 3, floor 2, apt. 3, Sofia 1421, Bulgaria < aralev@balkani.org >; Miloš POPOVIć (corresponding author < milos@habiprot.org.rs >) HabiProt, Zvezdanska 24, 19000 Zaječar, Serbia; Milan RUžIć, Bird protection and Study Society of Serbia, Bate Brkića 18, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia < milruzic@yahoo.com >, Peter SHURULINkOV, National Museum of Natural History Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tsar Osvoboditel, 1, 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria < p.shurulinkov@gmail.com >; Girgina DASkALOVA, Hadzhi Dimitur, 9, 8800 Sliven, Bulgaria < girginand@gmail.com >; Lachezar SPASOV, Balkani Wildlife Society, 67 Tsanko Tserkovski str, entr. 3, floor 2, apt.3, Sofia 1421, Bulgaria, < chesar@abv.bg >; Jelka crnobrnja-isailović, 7 Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, Višegradska 33, 18000 Niš, Serbia; Institute for biological research Siniša Stanković, University of Beograd, Despota Stefana 142, 11000 Beograd, Serbia < jelka@pmf.ni.ac.rs > @No abbreviated title needed for a Short Note@ABBrEVIATED TITlE of ArTIClE: new record of Testudo graeca ibera in Serbia keywords: Reptilia: Testudines: Testudinidae, Testudo graeca ibera, Serbia, Preševo valley, new record, conservation, threat