Late Pleistocene Squamate Reptiles from the Baranica Cave near Knjaževac (Eastern Serbia)

Abstract

The Late Pleistocene layers (2-4) of the Baranica Cave near Knjaževac (Eastern Serbia) contain rich and diverse vertebrate fauna, as well as several Palaeolithic artefacts. The squamate reptile fauna contains three lizard and six ophidian (snakes) taxa (Lacerta agilis, Lacertidae indet., Anguis fragilis, Zamenis cf. longissimus, Coronella austriaca, Coronella cf. austriaca, cf. Natrix sp., Vipera cf. berus, Vipera sp.). This is only the second of Late Pleistocene herpetofauna described from Serbia. It consists of the forms mainly characteristic for cold and temperate semi-open regions. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 176015 and Grant no. 177023]

Keywords

• squamate reptiles
• snakes
• Coronella
• Late Pleistocene
• Serbia