Confirmation of the Presence of the Dolichophis caspius (Serpentes, Colubridae) in Vinnytsia Region — the Westernmost Locality of the Species in Ukraine Near its Northern Species Range

Abstract

For the ongoing range shifts under climate change, it is essential to have reference information on the current presence of the species. In recent years, there has been an increase in observations of thermophilic reptiles outside their historical range in Ukraine. The distribution of the Caspian whipsnake, a common snake in southern Ukraine, appeared to be poorly documented at the northern edge of its range due to low density under sub-optimal conditions at the edge of the range. Here we provide verified observations of the Caspian whipsnake from the Mohyliv-Podilsky (formerly Yampil) district of the Vinnytsia region. These data considerably extend and specify the north-western limit of the range and, together with accompanying data on the frequency of species observations, support the hypothesis of a northward shift in the range of the species and/or a strong recent increase in the abundance of the species.