This study investigated the presence, characteristics, and distribution of ingested microplastics (MPs) in Apathya cappadocica, a regional endemic lizard species. A total of 93 individuals were examined, and MPs were found in 19.35% (n = 18) of them. A total of 27 microplastic particles were detected, averaging 1.5 MPs per positive individual and 0.29 MPs per individual across the sample. MP sizes ranged from 50 to 1727 µm, with a mean size of 355.46 ± 73 µm. Most MPs (93%) were fibers, while the rest were fragments. The dominant color was navy blue (41%), followed by red and black (19% each). Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was the most common polymer (67%), followed by polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene (PE). Statistical tests revealed no significant differences in MP size based on shape, color, or type, nor any correlation between MP size and gastrointestinal tract weight. However, microplastic shape was significantly associated with polymer type; fiber MPs consisted mainly of PET and PVA, while fragments were equally split between PVA and PE. These findings indicate that terrestrial reptiles are exposed to microplastic pollution and that microplastic characteristics may provide insights into their potential environmental sources.

Although embryological studies of squamates have a long history, most groups in this large clade remain poorly studied. One such group is the family Scincidae, which consists of morphologically and ecologically diverse lizards. In this study, we describe several stages of embryonic development based on cleared and stained specimens of Heremites auratus and Heremites vittatus. Our analysis indicates that the pterygoid and frontal are the first bones to be ossified at stage 34 in the skull of H. auratus. At stage 37, which was examined in both studied species, the ossified bones include the nasal, maxilla, parietal, prefrontal, premaxilla, postorbital, postfrontal, jugal, squamosal, quadrate, vomer, palatine and all mandible bones. In both species, the skull roof is relatively poorly ossified at stage 37. However, in H. auratus, the frontal and parietal bones ossify at their lateral edges at stage 37, while in H. vittatus, the frontal bones begin to ossify towards the midline. This suggests that ossification occurs later in H. auratus compared to H. vittatus, indicating a heterochronic pattern in ossification between these species. Additionally, pigmentation on the dorsal side of the body and scaling, which covered the entire body by stage 37 in H. vittatus, occur earlier compared to H. auratus. Compared to other scincid species, ossification in these lizards begins at a later stage but is completed earlier.

The genus Blanus (Amphisbaenia: Blanidae) comprises fossorial, limbless reptiles with cryptic external morphology, making species delimitation particularly challenging. This study presents a comprehensive comparative osteological and geometric morphometric investigation of three Blanus species distributed in Türkiye—B. alexandri, B. aporus, and B. strauchi. Using both dry and cleared-and-stained specimens, diagnostic variations in cranial and postcranial skeletal elements, especially elements within the nasal, maxilla, vomer, squamosal, dentary, and coronoid bones, as well as vertebral counts were identified. A geometric morphometric analysis of the dorsal and ventral cranial morphology revealed distinct shape differences, particularly separating B. alexandri from the other two species along principal component axes. A phylogenetic analysis based on 45 discrete osteological characters supported the monophyly of the eastern Blanus clade, with B. alexandri forming a distinct lineage from B. aporus and B. strauchi. These findings emphasize the significance of skeletal morphology for resolving phylogenetic relationships and highlight the role of osteological characters in refining species boundaries within cryptic reptilian taxa. The integrative approach employed here underscores the evolutionary distinctiveness of Anatolian Blanus and enhances our understanding of morphological evolution in amphisbaenians.

No helminths had previously been reported from populations of Acanthodactylus boskianus distributed in Türkiye. As a result of the study, only one individual out of the seven hosts evaluated was found to be infected. Detailed morphological examinations revealed a total of 11 helminth individuals. The findings suggest that the infection intensity is at a low level. The helminths identified belong to the Nematoda phylum and are of the species Spauligodon aloisei, Skrjabinodon alcaraziensis, and Skrjabinodon medinae. In helminth fauna studies conducted on Lacertid lizards, it has been reported that species belonging to the genera Spauligodon and Skrjabinodon are frequently found together; the findings of this study also support this situation. The results obtained are crucial in terms of revealing the first helminth species reported from the species A. boskianus.

The skull structure in vertebrates is closely related to feeding mode. This study examines the relationship between the cranial joint morphology variation among different lizard species [Eumesces schneideri (Daudin, 1802), Anguis colchica (Nordmann, 1840), and Eremias suphani (Başoğlu & Hellmich 1968)] and their feeding habit. This study investigates the cranial anatomical correlates of distinct cranial kinesis models. Different cranial joints permitting intracranial mobility have been observed among these species using histological section and whole-mount techniques. The cranial joints are similar among species that generally exhibit cranial kinesis. The stomach contents of the species were analyzed, and E. schneideri has the highest prey diversity among the examined species, followed by E. suphani and A. colchica in that order. The study indicated that the prey preferences differ among three lizard species. While no plant material was detected in the stomach contents of E. suphani and E. schneideri, it was detected in A. colchica. The diet of the three lizards consisted of various species of small arthropods such as Arachnida, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Formicidae, and Gastropoda. Additionally, no significant differences were detected in SVL, head, and jaw size measurements between adult males and females of each species.

The members of the Lacertidae are rarely known to prey on snakes or snake-like reptiles. This study presents the first record of snake predation by Anatololacerta anatolica. The stomach content of a female specimen was found to contain a snake of the Eirenis modestus. This study provides some of the first direct data on the feeding biology of A. anatolica. It also contributes to the trophic diversity of the Lacertidae family by highlighting the potential feeding flexibility of the species.