Cryptic diversity in the smooth snake (Coronella austriaca)
Journal: Amphibia-Reptilia
Year: 2018

Abstract The smooth snake, Coronella austriaca , is a common snake species widespread in the Western Palearctic region. It does not form conspicuous morphological variants and, although several evolutionary lineages have been distinguished based on the analyses of the mitochondrial DNA sequences, only two subspecies with very limited distribution have been traditionally recognized. Here we present an mtDNA phylogeography of the species using geographically extended sampling while incorporating b