Determining the range, status, ecology and behaviour of species from areas where surveys and samplings are uncommon or difficult to conduct is a challenge, such as in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPR Korea). Here, we used genetic samples, field surveys, call recordings, photographic identification and a literature review to estimate the presence, range and status of amphibians in the DPR Korea. From our combined results and based on the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, we were able to estimate the national threat levels for most species. Our results demonstrated the presence of 18 native species and the suspected presence of Karsenia koreana and two Onychodactylus species. We reported the first record for Rana uenoi in the vicinity of Pyongyang using molecular tools and similarly confirmed the presence of Dryophytes japonicus at the same location. Based on distribution and modelling, we can expect the contact zone between species within the Rana and Onychodactylus genera to be located along the Changbai Massif, a mountain range that marks a shift in ecoregions and acts as a barrier to dispersion. The species richness was higher in the lowlands and at lower latitudes, with such areas populated by up to 11 species, while more northern regions were characterised by species richness of about half of that value. The combination of ecological models and known threats resulted in the recommendation of ten species as threatened at the national level following the IUCN Red List categories and criteria. This high number of threatened species was anticipated based on the high threat level to amphibians in bordering nations and globally. While the ecology of species in the DPR Korea is still understudied, we argue that species relying on agricultural wetlands such as rice paddies are not under imminent threat due to the enduring presence of extensive agricultural landscapes with low rates of chemical use and mechanisation. The maintenance of such landscapes is a clear benefit to amphibian species, in contrast to more industrialised agricultural landscapes in neighbouring nations. In comparison, the status of species dependent on forested habitats is unclear and threat levels are likely to be higher because of deforestation, as in neighbouring nations.

The herpetology collection of the Ewha Womans University Natural History Museum (EWNHM) represents one of the oldest and largest institutional collections in the Republic of Korea. The specimens deposited in the EWNHM represent a major historical collection of the native herpetofauna, both in species diversity and time span. However, the full inventory of the herpetology collection has never been conducted and thus the collection has received little attention from researchers. Here, the first full account of the herpetology specimens held at the EWNHM is provided, with voucher information for all documented specimens to make the collection accessible for future studies.

It is important to understand the dynamics of population size to accurately assess threats and implement conservation activities when required. However, inaccurate estimates are harming both the threat estimation process, and the resulting conservation actions. Here, we address the extinction threats to Scincella huanrenensis, a species described in the People’s Republic of China, but also occurring on the Korean peninsula. Estimating the threats to the species is not an easy task due to its unknown population status in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Here we analysed the literature to acquire the known presence point for the species, along with datapoints originating from opportunistic field surveys, and employed habitat suitability models to estimate the range of the species. We then followed the categories and criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species to assess the extinction risk of the species. We found the species not to be fitting the threatened category at the global scale based on the range size, the only category for which enough data was available. We recommend the status of the species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species to be updated as it is now listed as critically endangered (CR), a listing fitting a national assessment for the People’s Republic (PR) of China. While this species is possibly less threatened than currently listed, this is not a genuine improvement, and specific conservation aspects should not be neglected due to its specialisation to medium to high elevation habitat.

Background: Ecological and genomic attributes of populations can provide two orthologous perspectives on the biological profiles associated with local adaptation. The ability of organisms to track suitable habitats (ecological adaptability) and of populations to shift allele frequencies (adaptive potential) are prerequisite for population sustainability.Aims: Many contemporary populations are threatened by habitat loss (ecological vulnerability) and a lack of adaptive potential (evolutionary vulnerability). Technical advances provide new opportunities to address these challenges in biological conservation: Future habitat shifts can be predicted by ecological niche modelling and adaptive genetic diversity can be discerned using genome sequence data. Together, these two approaches illuminate the local adaptation profile and help identify the environmental and genomic conditions that should maximize evolutionary fitness.Materials and Methods: Here, we reviewed the primary literature to identify key studies that utilize both whole‐genome resequencing (WGR) and ecological niche modelling (ENM) in an effort to envisage future research directions that may benefit conservation efforts.Results: We identified ways to integrate different approaches, such as ENM‐informed adaptive genomics and adaptive genomics‐informed ENMs, that can be used to delineate and conserve local adaptation profiles.Discussion: Integrative approaches can identify adaptive characteristics, vulnerable populations subject to environmental changes, and the patterns of local adaptation from geographic and genomic analyses. We discuss future research directions, limitations and their potential solutions with suggestions for collaborative workflows.Conclusion: The integration of WGR and ENM is promising with their continuous advancement. An integrative approach can be used to evaluate eco‐evolutionary attributes, at both organismal and molecular levels, that can be used to help conserve local adaptation profiles.

Basic knowledge of species distribution and diversity is crucial for broader studies of ecology, evolutionary biology, and conservation. However, a basic inventory of species diversity is difficult to obtain in nations that are inaccessible for fieldwork, such as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPR Korea). The diversity and distribution of snake fauna of DPR Korea are described in only a few publications, and no physical specimens have been examined recently. Here, the first detailed descriptions of pitvipers of the genus Gloydius from DPR Korea are provided, based on four specimens purchased from a market as “snake liquor.” Morphological and genetic data were analyzed to identify these specimens at the species level. Ecological niche modeling was also implemented to estimate the geographical distributions of Gloydius within DPR Korea. Phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene fragments identified the samples to three species: G. ussuriensis, G. brevicauda, and G. intermedius. The results of multivariate morphological analyses and diagnostic scalation and body patterns were also congruent with molecular identifications. The niche models had high predictive performance and predicted suitable habitats that were consistent with the ecology of the three species. With this study, the first morphological and genetic data for Gloydius from DPR Korea is provided that can be incorporated into future studies. In addition, the predicted distribution of Gloydius within DPR Korea can be used to map the snakebite risk in the nation. Our study adds to the efforts towards a better understanding of the herpetofauna of DPR Korea.