Mitochondrial haplotypes and microsatellite genotypes for grass and water snakes of the genus Natrix: A range-wide resource (Squamata, Natricidae)

Grass and water snakes of the genus Natrix are a dominant component of the Palaearctic reptile fauna, with a broad distribution ranging from North Africa across much of Europe to Lake Baikal in Central Asia. As part of a series of studies on the phylogeography and systematics of the group, a large database of mtDNA sequences and microsatellite genotypes was compiled for all five Natrix species. We present a range-wide genetic database comprising georeferenced information for approximately 3,700 snakes belonging to the grass snake complex (i.e. Natrix astreptophora , N. helvetica , N. natrix ), N. maura , N. tessellata and interspecific hybrids. This unique repository can serve as a comprehensive resource for phylogeographic, population genetic and systematic studies, as well as for monitoring hybrid zone dynamics and future anthropogenic hybridisation and admixture resulting from translocated non-native snakes.