Human-mediated dispersals in the Aegean region: a case of Anatololacerta pelasgiana on the Chalki Island (Greece: Dodecanese)

We report the first confirmed occurrence of Anatololacerta pelasgiana on Chalki Island (Dodecanese, Greece). The species was detected exclusively in and around the main settlement and port, within an area of ~0.9 km², consistent with an established population likely originating from recent human-mediated introduction. To infer source affinity, we sequenced mitochondrial cytochrome b from two individuals and compared the data with published Aegean and adjacent Anatolian datasets. The Chalki specimens share a widespread haplotype previously recorded on Rhodes, Kastellorizo and Athens (Greece), as well as in southwestern Turkey. These results suggest repeated, transport-mediated introductions from Rhodes as a recurrent driver of secondary colonization in the southeastern Aegean, and underscore local trade links as key pathways for small-island translocations, potentially relevant to other reptiles in the region.