Based on the results of our 2017–2021 field research, the coordinates of 17 meeting points of the sunwatcher toadhead agama (Phrynocephalus helioscopus) (Pallas, 1771) in the West Kazakhstan and Atyrau regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan are given, from 49°17.256'N, 48°14.048'E in the North to 46°34.330'N, 55°49.319'E in the South. The northern limit of the modern distribution in the Volga-Ural (Volga-Zhaiyk) interfluve is the saline in the Aral-sor lacustrine-saline depression and the Baigutta sor-liman depression in the left bank of the Ural (Zhaiyk) River. The sunwatcher toadhead agama habitats are confined to open spaces with salt lakes and sors. The dependence of the body’s upper side colour of sunwatcher toadhead agamas on the general background of the substrate is illustrated, namely: the colour is brown or dark grey on dark substrates, and light grey or ashy on light substrates. The history of the description of the species by P. S. Pallas and I. I. Lepekhin is briefly considered. According to the original and literary data the modern north-western border of the habitat, passing through the West Kazakhstan and the adjacent regions of the Russian Federation, has been clarified. It goes from the northern coast of the Caspian Sea, through Makhambet district of the Atyrau region, Krasnoyarsk and Kharabalinsky districts of the Astrakhan region, Kurmangazinsky district of the Atyrau region, Akhtubinsky district of the Astrakhan region, Bokeyordinsky district of the West Kazakhstan region, Pallasovsky district of the Volgograd region, and Kaztalovsky and Akzhayik districts of the West Kazakhstan region.

New data on the boundaries of the distribution range of the Lindholm rock lizard (Darevskia lindholmi), an endemic of the Crimean Peninsula, are presented. This petrophilous lizard inhabit a wide range of biotopes in various landscape levels of the Mountainous Crimea. The upper boundary of D. lindholmi distribution in the southwest of the Main Range of the Crimean Mountains reaches an elevation of 1,520 m a.s.l. (Ai-Petrinskaya Yayla, KemalEgerek Mountain), while on the other high uplands with altitudes above 1.5 km and colder climate (Babugan and Chatyrdag), the species was traced only up to 1,250–1,320 m a.s.l. The northern border of D. lindholmi range in the western part of the Crimean Mountains runs along the Outer Foothill Range (the right bank of the Alma River), while in the eastern part it corresponds the northernmost rocky massifs of the Inner Foothill Range to the north of 45º N latitude. Isolated marginal populations found in the forest-steppe or phrygana-steppe landscapes of the Foothills and arid Southeastern Coast differs significantly in their distance from the main habitat of the species, lizards’ abundance and density. A hypothetical history of the formation of the current range of the Lindholm lizard is discussed.

New data on the geographical distribution of Pelobates vespertinus and Bombina bombina in the Saratov region and adjacent districts of the Volgograd, Voronezh, Penza and Ulyanovsk regions are presented. The habitation of B. bombina and P. vespertinus populations in 25 and 22 localities, respectively, was established. Most modern populations of these species of anuran amphibians have been recorded near water bodies in river valleys.

Karelin's newt (Triturus karelinii) in Russia is known for sure in Republic of Crimea, Krasnodar region, Republic of Adygea, and Republic of Dagestan. No reports of this species distribution in other regions of the North Caucasus have yet been confirmed by collection materials. The paper presents data on few Karelin's newt findings in the Stavropol region and Karachay-Cherkessia Republic. In May 2018, five adult T. karelinii (two males and three females) were captured in the vicinity of the Novoekaterinovskaya village (Kochubeyevskiy district, Stavropol region). Another finding of this species (an adult female) was made in the vicinity of the Kubina village (Abazinskiy district, Karachay-Cherkessia Republic) in April 2021. The authors believe that Karelin's newt should be included in the faunal lists and Red Data Books of these regions.

Seven species of snakes were revealed in 1997–1998, six of which (Natrix tessellata, N. natrix, Zamenis longissimus, Hierophis caspius, Platyceps najadum, and Elaphe sauromatus) were in the lower part of the slope, in the area of mediterranean vegetation. In 2001– 2003, the first three species were revealed only, and their numbers significantly decreased, reaching a maximum in the middle part of the slope, in the zone of transition from mediterranean vegetation to broad-leaved forests. In 1999–2000, the recreational load on the coastal area sharply rose, which probably was the cause for the species composition reduction and changes of the spatial distribution in snakes.

Unknown biographic data about I. S. Darevsky, D. B. Krasovsky, and S. A. Chernov are presented. This information was obtained during work with the museum collection of the Gorsky State Agrarian University (Vladikavkaz), that of E. N. Pavlovsky’s Chair of Biology at S. M. Kirov Military Medical Academy, and the archive of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

In the Shymkent city (South Kazakhstan) in 2019 and 2021 several specimens of Bogdanov's thin-toed gecko (Tenuidactylus bogdanovi) were found. The find was located 129 km north of the nearest known location in the Tashkent city in Uzbekistan. The repeated finding of Bogdanov's gecko in Shymkent confirms the eligibility of including this species in the list of herpetofauna of Kazakhstan.

Arecord of Rana temporaria on the ice cover of the Gulf of Finland is described. Frog slowly moved on the ice surface with speed around 0.03 m/s. Air temperature near ice surface was +3.5°C, and the frog body temperature was +4°C. In the Saint Petersburg region, common frogs can hibernate in the coastal waters of Baltic Sea with salinity of 0 – 5.8‰.

A comparative estimation of the leukocyte profile of the marsh turtle Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758) living in the Ural river basin (Orenburg region, Belyaevsky district, 11 females and 5 males) and in the Volga river basin (Astrakhan region, Krasnoyarsk district, 28 females and 20 males) was made. The blood formula (WBC) of males and females was calculated together with the calculation of integral leukocytal indices (the lymphocyte-granulocyte index, the leukocyte shift index, the heterophile/lymphocyte ratio, the heterophil/eosinophil ratio, and the lymphocyte/eosinophil ratio). Lymphocytes were the predominant leukocyte cells in the peripheral blood of Emys orbicularis (40–45%). Among granulocytes, heterophiles (the population from the Orenburg region) or basophils (the population from the Astrakhan region) predominated. The absence of any differences in the quantitative indicators of the blood formula and integral indices for males and females indicated a comparable level of impact and identity of the physiological adaptation mechanisms occurring in the animals in the Orenburg region. Intersexual differences were manifested in an increased content of monocytes (u = 3.13, p = 0.001), which indicated activation of the natural immunity of males in comparison with females from the Astrakhan region. The leukocyte composition of the Emys orbicularis blood differed in the content of granulocytes and agranulocytes in different populations. The males from the Orenburg region differed from those from the Astrakhan region by an increased proportion of heterophiles and a reduced content of basophils. Females differed in all blood count parameters, except for eosinophils whose fraction was equal (u = 0.71, p = 1.00). In the peripheral blood of females from the Orenburg region, a higher content of heterophiles, monocytes and a lower content of basophils and lymphocytes were found in comparison with those from the Astrakhan region. Quantitative-qualitative changes were detected in the leukocyte composition of the blood during the invasion of hemoparasites. The specific immune response (the content of lymphocytes) decreased, and the nonspecific defense system (the content of heterophiles) increased. The maintenance of the immunological reactivity of the organism under the conditions of invasion was determined by the functional activity of heterophiles, which was confirmed by a higher value of the heterophil/lymphocyte index. The blood formula (WBC) and the dynamics of leukocytal indexes of Emys orbicularis reflected the active response of the organism to a complex of environmental factors, including parasitic invasions.

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. Ventr. is 166–175 and 175–189, respectively, Scd. Is 50–59 and 32–56, Lab. left/right is usually 7/7 (89.7%), Sublab. is 9/9 (72.4%), respectively. A high incidence of asymmetry (44.4%) was noted for Temp. I and II rows; of 23 combinations, the most common is the symmetric one 2+3/2+3 (25.9%). L.corp./L.cd. limits overlap in 3.1% of underyearlings and yearlings, and in 1.8% of adults. Same-sex individuals statistically significantly differ in their meristic characteristics within the studied regions: the females from a locality near the Chucha river differ from the rest ones in Scd. and Sublab.left., males differ in Scd. and Ventr.+Scd.; males also significantly differ in their metric characteristics L.corp., L.cd., L.total.