List of reptiles of Bulgaria

This is a complete list of the reptiles of Bulgaria. Bulgaria is inhabited by 37 reptilian species, which makes the reptiles the second least diverse class of vertebrates in the country, after the amphibians.^[1] The list includes four species that have not been recorded in the country since the first half of the 20th century — the loggerhead sea turtle, green sea turtle, aspic viper and meadow viper. There are six turtle and tortoise species of four families — Cheloniidae, Emydidae, Geoemydidae and Testudinidae; 13 lizard species of four families — Anguidae, Gekkonidae, Lacertidae and Scincidae; and 18 snake species of four families — Boidae, Colubridae, Typhlopidae and Viperidae.

Order Testudines

Family Cheloniidae

Cheloniidae is a family of sea turtles with worldwide distribution in all tropical oceans. The family contains seven species in five genera, of which two species have been recorded in the waters off the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.^[2]

Cheloniidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Statusa[›]	Image
Caretta caretta	loggerhead sea turtle	The species has been recorded twice along the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, off Shabla and Primorsko.[3]	EN [4]
Chelonia mydas	green sea turtle	The species has been recorded only once along the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, off Sozopol.[5]	EN [6]

Family Emydidae

Emydidae, also known as pond or march turtles, are a family of fresh water turtles. With the exception of two species, they are distributed in the Western Hemisphere. There are close to 50 species in 10 genera, of which one species occurs in Bulgaria.^[7]

Emydidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Emys orbicularis	European pond turtle	The species is found in the rivers and lakes all over the country. It has been recorded up to 1100 m altitude in Lozen Mountain.[8]	NT [9]

Family Geoemydidae

Geoemydidae are one of the largest and most diverse turtle families. They are distributed in North America, northern South America, Europe, northwestern Africa and Asia. The family contains about 70 species in 19 genera, of which one species occurs in Bulgaria.^[10]

Geoemydidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Mauremys rivulata	Balkan pond turtle	The species is found in the southernmost regions of the country: the lower course of the rivers Struma, Arda, Maritsa, Tundzha, as well as in the rivers south of the Ropotamo along the Black Sea coast.[11]	NE [12]

Family Testudinidae

Testudinidae, also known as tortoises, are a family of land-dwelling turtles found in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. They are terrestrial and inhabit warm areas ranging from rain forests to deserts. The family contains about 50 species in 11 genera, of which 2 species are found in Bulgaria.^[13]

Testudinidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Testudo graeca	spur-thighed tortoise	The species is found in the lowlands of the country: the Danube and Upper Thracian Plains, the Black Sea coast and some river valley.[14]	VU [15]
Testudo hermanni	Hermann's tortoise	The species is found in the lowlands of the country: the Danube and Upper Thracian Plains, the Black Sea coast and some river valley. It has been recorded up to 1450 m altitude in the mountains.[16]	NT [17]

Order Squamata

Suborder Lacertilia

Family Anguidae

Anguidae are a family of legless lizards distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. The group includes both egg-laying and viviparous species. There are 73 species in 10 genera, of which two species occur in Bulgaria.^[18][19]

Anguidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Anguis fragilis	slow worm	The species is found in most regions of the country.[20]	NE [21]
Pseudopus apodus	European legless lizard	The species is found in the lowlands of south-eastern Bulgaria and along the Black Sea coast, with isolated populations in the lower valleys of the rivers Rusenski Lom and Struma.[22]	NE [23]

Family Gekkonidae

Gekkonidae are a large family of small to mid-size gackos. They have global distribution with particular diversity in tropical areas. Gekkonidae include 1033 species in 51 genera, of which one species is found in Bulgaria.^[24]

Gekkonidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Cyrtopodion kotschyi	Kotschy's gecko	The species is found in south-eastern Bulgaria, including the Upper Thracian Plain and the Eastern Rhodope Mountains, as well as along the Black Sea coast and the lower Struma valley.[25]	LC [26]

Family Lacertidae

Lacertidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Darevskia praticola	meadow lizard	The species is found in most of the country, except for the south-western regions and the Upper Thracian valley.[27]	NT [28]
Lacerta agilis	sand lizard	The species is found in Rila, Pirin, western Rhodope Mountains, western and central Balkan Mountains, Sredna Gora and Osogovo, as well as isolated populations in Strandzha and the northern Black Sea coast.[29]	LC [30]
Lacerta trilineata	Balkan green lizard	Most common in the lowlands of eastern Bulgaria, as well as in the lower Struma valley.[31]	LC [32]
Lacerta viridis	European green lizard	The species is common throughout the country, except for the highest mountains.[33]	LC [34]
Ophisops elegans	snake-eyed lizard	The species inhabits only a small area in the eastern Rhodope Mountains and the lower valley of the Maritsa river.[35]	NE [36]
Podarcis erhardii	Erhard's wall lizard	The species occurs in south-western Bulgaria and the eastern Rhodope Mountains.[37]	LC [38]
Podarcis muralis	common wall lizard	The species is widespread in the whole country.[39]	LC [40]
Podarcis tauricus	Balkan wall lizard	The species is found in the lowlands of northern and eastern Bulgaria, as well as in the lower Struma valley.[41]	LC [42]
Zootoca vivipara	viviparous lizard	The species is found in in Rila, Pirin, Vitosha, the western Rhodope Mountains, the western and central Balkan Mountains and Osogovo.[43]	LC [44]

Family Scincidae

Scincidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Ablepharus kitaibelii	European copper skink	The species is found in the whole country, except for some areas to the south-west.[45]	LC [46]

Suborder Serpentes

Family Boidae

Boidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Eryx jaculus	javelin sand boa	The species is found in south-eastern Bulgaria, as well as in isolated populations in the lower Struma valley and around Svishtov along the Danube river bank.[47]	NE [48]

Family Colubridae

Colubridae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Coronella austriaca	smooth snake	The species is found in the whole country, up to 1600 m altitude, rarely recorded up to 2200 m.[49]	NE [50]
Dolichophis caspius	Caspian whipsnake	The species is found in most of the country, except for the high mountains of souther-western Bulgaria.[51]	NE [52]
Elaphe quatuorlineata	four-lined snake	The species is found only in the southern Struma valley.[53]	NT [54]
Elaphe sauromates	blotched snake	The species occurs in the Upper Thracian Plan, the Danubian Plane, Dobrudzha and the Black Sea coast.[55]	NE [56]
Malpolon monspessulanus	Montpellier snake	The species is found in southern Bulgaria: lower Struma valley, Eastern Rhodope Mountains, Dervent Heights, Strandzha.[57]	LC [58]
Natrix natrix	grass snake	The species is found all over the country.[59]	LC [60]
Natrix tessellata	dice snake	The species is found all over the country, up to 1100 m altitude.[61]	LC [62]
Platyceps collaris	red whip snake	The species is found in several populations along the Black Sea coast to the south of Sozopol.[63]	LC [64]
Platyceps najadum	Dahl's whip snake	The species is found in south-western Bulgaria, the Eastern Rhodope Mountains, the northern foothills of the Western Rhodope Mountains and the Dervent Heights.[65]	LC [66]
Telescopus fallax	European cat snake	The species is found in the southern Struma valley and the Eastern Rhodope Mountains.[67]	LC [68]
Zamenis longissimus	Aesculapian snake	The species is found in the whole country, up to 1600 m altitude, rarely recorded up to 2000 m in Belasitsa.[69]	LC [70]
Zamenis situla	European ratsnake	The species is found in the southern Struma valley, the foothills of the Western Rhodope Mountains and the southern Black Sea coast.[71]	LC [72]

Family Typhlopidae

Typhlopidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Typhlops vermicularis	European blind snake	The species is found in southern Bulgaria: lower Struma valley, Eastern Rhodope Mountains, Dervent Heights, Strandzha, the southern Black Sea coast.[73]	NE [74]

Family Viperidae

Viperidae

Species	Common name	Distribution	Status	Image
Vipera ammodytes	horned viper	The species is found in the whole country, up to 1450 m altitude.[75]	LC [76]
Vipera aspis	aspic viper	Only two specimens have been recorded in Bulgaria — one found near Harmanli in 1933, the other in unknown location in the beginning of the 20th century.[77]	LC [78]
Vipera berus	common European adder	The species is found in the mountains, at an altitude of 1000—2700 m — Rila, Pirin, Vistosha, western Rhodope Mountains, western and central Balkan Mountains, central Sredna Gora and Osogovo.[79]	LC [80]
Vipera ursinii	meadow viper	The species is known only from a few specimen found in the Shumen Plateau and Lyulin Mountain. There are no records since 1934.[81]	VU [82]

See also

• Geography of Bulgaria
• List of amphibians of Bulgaria
• List of birds of Bulgaria
• List of mammals of Bulgaria
• List of protected areas of Bulgaria

Footnotes

Notes

^ a: Conservation status at a world level (not exclusive to Bulgaria) of the species according to the IUCN Red List: Conservation status - IUCN Red List of Threatened Species:

 EX  - Extinct,  EW  - Extinct in the wild

 CR  - Critically endangered,  EN  - Endangered,  VU  - Vulnerable

 NT  - Near threatened,  LC  - Least concern

 DD  - Data deficient,  NE  - Not evaluated

Citations

References

Sources

• Бисерков, В. (V. Biserkov) (2007). Определител на земноводните и влечугите в България (A Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Bulgaria) (in Bulgarian). София (Sofia): Зелени Балкани (Green Balkans). ISBN 978-954-9433-07-4. 
• Бешков, Владимир (Vladimir Beshkov); Кръстьо Нанев (Krastyo Nanev) (2002). Земноводни и влечуги в България (Amphibians and Reptiles of Bulgaria) (in Bulgarian). София (Sofia): Пенсофт (Pensoft). ISBN 954-642-147-2. 

External links

• Naumov, B.; M.Stanchev. "Amphibians and reptiles of Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula" (in Bulgarian). An online edition of the Bulgarian Herpetological Society. Retrieved 18 March 2015. 
• Mazzei, P. "Amphibians and reptiles of Europe". Retrieved 18 March 2015. 
• "The Reptile Database". Retrieved 18 March 2015. 
• "The IUNC List of Threatened Species". Retrieved 18 March 2015. 
• "Animal Diversity Web". University of Michigan. Retrieved 25 March 2015. 
• Rhodin, Anders G.J.; Paul van Dijk, Peter; Inverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley. "Turtles of the world, 2010 update: Annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status". pp. 000.89–000.138. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-15.  Cite uses deprecated parameter |coauthors= (help)