The fi eld studies at the Eastern Crimea (Kerchinsky Peninsular) have shown the existence of the distinct color differences between the local population of Natrix tessellata and specimens from any their parts of the species range. About a half of specimens (n = 103) had dark upper and lower labials, dark throat and ventrals. While the examination of specimens (n = 236) from the holdings of the Zoological Museum (Kiev, Ukraine) the only one specimen with the similar color pattern was found from the West Ukraine (Transcarpatian region). The descriptive statistics was used to compare sample from Kerchinsky Peninsular (n = 45) with the cumulative/random sample of snakes with the standard color pattern (n = 58). No differences were found between them. However, when the same «dark colored» sample and two samples from mainland Ukraine (Zaporozgsky region, Lysaya Gora and Khersonsky district, Dipper valley, village Antonovka) were compared, numerous statistically signifi cant differences were found between the males. The results of the multivariate statistics (discriminant analysis) also supported the existence of differences between the mainland snakes and those from the Kerchinsky Peninsular.
Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences Saint - Petersburg, Russia 2 - 16 August 2003/ - P. - 130