Detailed morphological characteristics of the populations of Coronella austriaca on the northern border of its range, in the Vladimir and Nizhny Novgorod regions, are presented. L.corp. of males and females reaches 543 mm and 601 mm, respectively.
Phrynocephalus helioscopus species complex have been thoroughly studied during recent years, but several lineages remained unassigned. Based on the morphological differences and divergence in COI (mtDNA) gene sequences, two new subspecies are described in the present article within the Phrynocephalus helioscopus species complex: Ph. helioscopus karatauensisssp. nov. from the environs of Karatau Ridge in Kazakhstan and Ph. saidalievi orlovaessp. nov.