Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 170516395

Pioneers in Central-eastern Anatolia: rapid range assessments of threatened and rare viper species in uncharted territories

(1) We will locate the peripheries of species ranges and potential contact zones integrity or proximate populations of closely related species to evaluate species in areas from south-central to eastern Anatolia. Methods applied use visible rocky surface, topography, elevation and vegetation to search out comparative areas in more limital situation, as was successfully executed before. (2) Specifically, we search for the eastern end of Montivipera albizona in Erzincan, Elazig and Bingöl provinces, and where it meets or approaches the western limit of M. wagneri in Erzurum and Mus provinces to test their species integrity, including DNA analysis (3) Visit our newly discovered and only second known population of Vipera anatolica in eastern Antalya Province, inspect the threat by mining action in the new population, and test regional valleys for further populations selected through satellite images; (4) western limit of V. darevskii and V. eriwanensis in the border area between Gümüshane, Giresun, and Erzincan provinces; Information based on two publicatons in 2005 and newer unpublished material indicate a a huge range extension of V. darevskii paralleled by a similar reange extension of V. eriwanensis. (5) publish results and make them available to conservation entities, including Turkish national park authorities, NGOs, academics