European Reptiles Research Articles

Crepuscular and small but not evolutionary unique species are the reptiles less affected by roadkill in Europe

We extensively reviewed scientific literature and extracted a large dataset with roadkill events for reptile species. We examined 300 articles from 33 European countries, gathering 1688 records of reptiles killed by vehicle traffic. A total of 125 taxa were found documented as roadkill (100 native and 25 exotic species). We calculated each species' occurrence frequency within the database (henceforth ‘relative roadkill frequency'). The relative roadkill of species was strongly and significantly correlated when comparing the whole dataset and the subset of systematic studies. We modelled the inter‐specific variation in relative roadkill frequency across the European reptilian phylogeny concerning species traits, evolutionary uniqueness, and distribution range using a phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) model. Overall, reptile casualties are more pronounced for more closely related species. However, the relative roadkill frequency was unrelated to the level of evolutionary distinctiveness of European reptiles. Additionally, relative roadkill frequency was not correlated to the distribution range but was positively correlated with the species' body mass. The reptiles more frequently cited as road casualties were overall relatively large species: Montpellier snake Malpolon monspessulanus, European grass snake Natrix natrix, and Caspian whipsnake Dolichophis caspius. Additionally, more active species during the crepuscular hours were less affected by roadkill. From a conservation point of view, our results suggest that roadkill frequency is not more significant for evolutionary, more unique reptiles than for other species in Europe, while at the same time, widely distributed species are not the main target of roadkill events. Then, the main causes of roadkill in reptiles must be associated with other factors, such as behavioural traits or density of populations, rather than simply the size of their distribution range.Keywords: evolutionary uniqueness, phylogenetic signal, reptile species, roadkill incidence, wildlife conservation

16S rRNA Gene Sequencing-Based Identification and Comparative Analysis of the Fecal Microbiota of Five Syntopic Lizard Species from a Low-Mountain Area in Western Bulgaria

Studies on the gut microbiome of free-living reptiles in Europe are generally fragmentary and still missing in Bulgaria. We aimed to identify and compare the fecal microbiota profiles of five syntopic lizard species from three families: the European green lizard (Lacerta viridis), the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), the meadow lizard (Darevskia praticola) (Lacertidae), the European snake-eyed skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii) (Scincidae), and the European slow worm (Anguis fragilis) (Anguidae), which coinhabit a low mountainous area in the western part of the country. A high-throughput sequencing of the hypervariable V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, performed on the Illumina HiSeq2500 platform, was used. The core microbiota of lizard hosts seems to be species-specific. A dynamic phyla proportion between hosts was found. The richest alpha diversity was observed in D. praticola, and the lowest alpha diversity was observed in P. muralis and A. fragilis. Within the three lacertids, the microbiota of D. praticola and L. viridis were more closely related to each other than they were to those of P. muralis. Sharing a largely common trophic resource (all species except A. fragilis are mainly insectivorous) was not an indication of similarity in their gut microbial communities.

Iguanian lizards (Acrodonta and Pleurodonta) from the earliest Eocene (MP 7) of Dormaal, Belgium: the first stages of these iconic reptiles in Europe

ABSTRACT We here report on iguanians (both new and the previous record) from the earliest Eocene (MP 7) of the Dormaal locality in Belgium, from the time of the warmest global climates of the past 66 million years. Today iguanians are distributed mainly in the New World (Pleurodonta) and Old World (Acrodonta), having complicated biogeographic histories. Both lineages co-existed in Dormaal 56 Ma. Iguanians here document the presence of thermophilic faunas during greenhouse conditions in the northern mid-latitudes (above 50° north, the latitude of southern England). The complete maxilla of the agamid Tinosaurus europeocaenus is described and figured for the first time, being distinctive and furnishing a number of diagnostic characters. The dentary coronoid process of this species is also observed for the first time. Our morphological analysis supports the previous observation that Tinosaurus is similar to Leiolepis, but also differs from it by several distinguishing features. Some jaw character states present in T. europeocaenus are shared with the Indian T. indicus, Chinese T. doumuensis, and American Tinosaurus sp., but several differences among them are observed. Besides the well-known Geiseltaliellus, we here erect and describe a new pleurodontan taxon. The new taxon is represented by a maxilla with a unique and peculiar tooth crown morphology: the central cusp is bifurcated, markedly split into two distinct and well-separated “prongs.” This morphology likely indicates a high specialization on feeding sources. This might cause a higher extinction risk relative to generalists, because terrestrial ecosystems in Europe changed substantially during the Paleogene.

Raillietiella hemidactyli (Pentastomida: Raillietiellidae) in Tarentola mauritanica geckoes: A new zoonotic parasite for Europe

Pentastomida is a subclass of parasitic arthropods, related to crustaceans, which develop in the respiratory tract of vertebrates (i.e., fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals). Within this group of parasites, Raillietiella spp. adults develop in the lungs of lizards, snakes and toads, whereas larval stages in insects (e.g., cockroaches), which are intermediate hosts. Lizards were captured under the frame of a study on reptile zoonotic parasites. Feces of the collected animals were examined and pentastomids were diagnosed in Tarentola mauritanica geckoes (1.2%; 3/259) from Linosa island. Adult forms of Railietiella hemidactyli pentastomids were morphologically characterized and molecularly identified through 18S rDNA amplification and sequencing. Positive animals had adult forms of R. hemidactyli pentastomids in the lungs as well as embryonated eggs in feces. Raillietiella was herein identified for the first time in synanthropic geckoes in a confined population of one of the southernmost islands of Italy, representing the first report of this zoonotic pentastomid in synanthropic and invasive reptiles in Europe. Further studies should focus on the prevalence of pentastomids on synanthropic reptiles in other Italian regions to assess the zoonotic risk of infection and to warn veterinarians and physicians about the risk they may represent for several species of hosts, including dogs, cats and humans.

Leishmania spp. in Squamata reptiles from the Mediterranean basin

Leishmania tarentolae is a nonpathogenic trypanosomatid species isolated from geckoes in the Mediterranean basin. In Italy, L. tarentolae and Leishmania infantum occur in sympatry in areas where canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is endemic. Here, we investigated the prevalence and distribution of L. tarentolae in reptilian hosts and the presence of L. infantum in the same animals in southern Italy. From April 2020 to April 2021, lizards and snakes were captured in urban, peri-urban sites, natural parks, and dog shelters. Blood was individually sampled and assessed for the presence ofLeishmania spp. by cytology and/or molecular biology. Captured lizards were euthanized and their tissues/organs were tested by duplex real-time-PCR for the detection of L.infantumandL.tarentolae and the positive ones were amplified by conventional PCR to confirm the species identification by sequencing. Samples were also screened by real-time PCR for L. infantum kDNA minicircle. Of the 259 collected Squamata reptiles, 34 (13.1%) specimens scored positive for Leishmania spp., with a prevalence of 10% for L.tarentolae(n=26) and of 3.1% for L.infantum(n=8). Positive lizards were mostly Podarcis siculus (n=26) from dog shelters, with six specimens positive for L.infantum. In addition, L. tarentolae was detected in one Podarcis filfolensislizard, and in five T. mauritanica geckos (with one gecko and P. filfolensislizard showing amastigote-like forms in thrombocytes), whereas L. infantumwas detected in one T. mauritanica, and one Hemidactylus turcicus. Data herein reported demostrate that saurian reptiles living in CanL endemic areas of the Mediterranean basin may be exposed to bothL. tarentolae and L. infantum indicating a sympatric circulation of these species in different vertebrate hosts. Moreover, this study represents the first molecular evidence of L. infantum infection in European reptiles.

A step towards SDMs: A “couple‐and‐weigh” framework based on accessible data for biodiversity conservation and landscape planning

AbstractAimThe ongoing global change makes landscape planning and management of ecological corridors crucial to preserve biodiversity. We propose a workflow optimizing the use of different data sources to convert ecological niche models (ENMs) into landscape‐focused species distribution models (SDMs), using these latter to compute ecological corridors. We infer corridors connecting present occurrence localities to future climatic refugia as well as to localities where extinct populations occurred. Also, a continuous connectivity change index is proposed to assess current–future differences. Finally, we discuss possible applications of our workflow to conservation, assessing the capability of established protected areas to preserve ecological corridors.LocationEurope.MethodsAs case study to illustrate our framework, we use a database comprising occurrence localities of Vipera ursinii, one of the most endangered European reptiles. We obtain weighted SDMs for each of the four V. ursinii subspecies by coupling climate‐based ENMs with standardized occurrence frequencies along land use and altitude gradients through weighted averaging in GIS. We calculate current and future landscape connectivity for each subspecies based on the corresponding weighted SDM. We compare predictive performance of “traditional” ENMs, including climate, land use and topography as predictors and weighted SDMs.ResultsWeighted SDMs outperform ENMs, according to Boyce index. SDMs are used to infer connectivity, predicted to decrease in all future scenarios for V. ursinii, and assess where connections may favour movements of individuals to, for example, future suitable areas. Generally, protected areas are predicted to cover low‐connectivity territories.Main conclusionsThe proposed “couple‐and‐weigh” approach could represent a helpful tool to investigate biogeography, conservation and landscape planning topics, as it permits to capitalize on occurrence records and accessible environmental predictors by narrowing the target species’ potential distribution, estimated within “traditional” ENMs, to the realized one through post‐modelling GIS analyses, which in turn improves estimation of friction maps used to infer connectivity.

Cloacal Gram-Negative Microbiota in Free-Living Grass Snake Natrix natrix from Poland

Reptiles appear to be an important vector for Gram-negative pathogens, therefore, they are epidemiologically relevant. However, the composition of reptilian microbiota has been poorly recognized so far. The majority of studies concern exotic reptiles as asymptomatic carriers of Salmonella serovars. Studies of other intestinal bacteria of reptiles are rare. Only recently, the microbiota of free-living European reptiles have been investigated, however, on the basis of small samples, mainly in protected areas. Here, we aim to investigate cloacal Gram-negative microbiota of free-living Natrix natrix. Snakes (N = 45) used in the study were collected in Kraków (Poland) and its vicinity. Nineteen species of Gram-negative bacteria were isolated. The most common species were: Aeromonas hydrophila, Morganella morganii, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella spp. The bacteria prevalent in N. natrix cloacal swabs are likely to represent the natural intestinal Gram-negative microbiota of the examined snakes. Importantly, the identified bacteria are pathogenic to humans, which clearly highlights the epidemiological potential of free-living N. natrix. The risk of infection is high for immunocompromised humans, children (under 5 years old), elderly persons, and pregnant women. Our study provides the largest dataset on intestinal Gram-negative microbiota of wild snakes. The presence of multiple human pathogens determined by us calls for the necessity of further studies on reptile-transmitted bacteria in anthropogenic environments.

A hotspot of xenodiversity: First evidence of an assemblage of non‐native freshwater turtles in a suburban wetland in Central Italy

AbstractThe present study reports on a case of high richness in an assemblage of non‐native freshwater turtles in a suburban wetland of Tyrrhenian Central Italy (Torre Flavia Nature Reserve), providing evidence for first observations of species at regional, national and continental levels. Following a standardized sampling procedure, 54 specimens belonging to seven taxa (ten taxa, including subspecies) were sampled. These includedTrachemys scripta(overwintering in the nest of a juvenile, corroborating its reproduction in the wild),Graptemys pseudogeographica, Pelomedusa olivacea(first observation recorded for Europe), Pseudemys concinna, Pseudemys nelsoni,Mauremys sinensisand an unclassified Kinosternidae (Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrumvelSternotherus odoratus; first observation recorded for Europe at the family level).Due to the high frequency of the most common species (Trachemys scripta: >80% in frequency), this non‐native assemblage was characterized by high Simpson dominance, low Simpson diversity and low evenness values. This appears to be the first evidence of a local hotspot of these non‐native reptiles in Europe. These relevant data and their ecological implications (e.g., alien food webs) are discussed, as well as their conservation concerns and wetland management perspectives.

Fossil lizards and worm lizards (Reptilia, Squamata) from the Neogene and Quaternary of Europe: an overview

Lizards were and still are an important component of the European herpetofauna. The modern European lizard fauna started to set up in the Miocene and a rich fossil record is known from Neogene and Quaternary sites. At least 12 lizard and worm lizard families are represented in the European fossil record of the last 23 Ma. The record comprises more than 3000 occurrences from more than 800 localities, mainly of Miocene and Pleistocene age. By the beginning of the Neogene, a marked faunistic change is detectable compared to the lizard fossil record of Palaeogene Europe. This change is reflected by other squamates as well and might be related to an environmental deterioration occurring roughly at the Oligocene/Miocene boundary. Nevertheless, the diversity was still rather high in the Neogene and started to decrease with the onset of the Quaternary glacial cycles. This led to the current impoverished lizard fauna, with the southward range shrinking of the most thermophilic taxa (e.g., agamids, amphisbaenians) and the local disappearance of other groups (e.g., varanids). Our overview of the known fossil record of European Neogene and Quaternary lizards and worm lizards highlighted a substantial number of either unpublished or poorly known occurrences often referred to wastebasket taxa. A proper study of these and other remains, as well as a better sampling of poorly explored time ranges (e.g., Pliocene, Holocene), is needed and would be of utmost importance to better understand the evolutionary history of these reptiles in Europe.

NA2RE is reliable but aims for improvement: an answer to Vamberger and Fritz (2018)

A recent paper has suggested that NA2RE, the New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe, does not provide a reliable basis for ecological niche modelling studies due to errors flagging introductions and missing data for the native range of the pond turtle genus Emys. We point out that the original NA2RE paper already acknowledged that it was not aimed for fine-scale ecological distribution modelling and that it had the objective of stimulating research for improving the maps. New works now complement the Atlas in improving the coverage and providing new distribution maps for species within species complex. Moreover, we stress that the NA2RE web platform at present hosts only the distribution data compiled in 2014 from different sources, using the taxonomy adopted by the authors at the time. As with any large database, it is advisable that these data are carefully evaluated and quality-filtered before their use in scientific studies. We defend the reliability of the NA2RE web platform as the currently most comprehensive resource for the comparative chorological study of amphibians and reptiles in Europe, and encourage publication of updates and additions following the most recent taxonomic changes, to continuously improve this database and the Atlas.

The distribution of meadow and steppe vipers (<em>Vipera graeca</em>, <em>V. renardi</em> and <em>V. ursinii</em>): a revision of the New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe

In some cases, species’ distributions have not been accurate and some geographical areas were not accounted for in the New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe (NA2RE), a project performed by the Mapping Committee of the Societas Europaea Herpetologica (SEH). The distribution of species within the Vipera ursinii-renardi group were presented jointly as a single taxon (“Vipera ursinii/renardi”), without differentiation between the meadow viper V. ursinii, the steppe viper V. renardi, and the recently described Greek meadow viper Vipera graeca. Here we present a revised 50×50 km resolution distribution map of this group with new records, eliminating putative or erroneous records and extinct populations. Additionally, we filled several spatial gaps in the distribution of V. renardi in Eastern Europe by incorporating recent regional overviews, previously considered ambiguous or inaccessible to most researchers, due to language barriers.

The distributions of the six species constituting the smooth newt species complex (Lissotriton vulgaris sensu lato and L. montandoni) – an addition to the New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe

Abstract The ‘smooth newt’, the taxon traditionally referred to as Lissotriton vulgaris, consists of multiple morphologically distinct taxa. Given the uncertainty concerning the validity and rank of these taxa, L. vulgaris sensu lato has often been treated as a single, polytypic species. A recent study, driven by genetic data, proposed to recognize five species, L. graecus, L. kosswigi, L. lantzi, L. schmidtleri and a more restricted L. vulgaris. The Carpathian newt L. montandoni was confirmed to be a closely related sister species. We propose to refer to this collective of six Lissotriton species as the smooth newt or Lissotriton vulgaris species complex. Guided by comprehensive genomic data from throughout the range of the smooth newt species complex we 1) delineate the distribution ranges, 2) provide a distribution database, and 3) produce distribution maps according to the format of the New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe, for the six constituent species. This allows us to 4) highlight regions where more research is needed to determine the position of contact zones.

Life-history trait database of European reptile species

Life-history data are essential for providing answers to a wide range of questions in evolution, ecology, and conservation biology. While life history data for many species, especially plants, are available online, life history traits of European reptiles are available only widely scattered in different languages and primarily in printed media. For this reason, we generated a comprehensive trait database covering all European reptile species. Data were compiled by searching the peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed literature. The database covers the whole of Europe and neighbouring Asian and African countries. Traits were categorised under five main headings: Activity / Energy / Habitat; Phenology; Movement; Sexual Maturity; and Morphometry. To ensure that the data were standardised, we defined trait data categories before we started compiling data. All entries were checked by at least one other person. The dataset provides a unique source for meta-analyses and modelling in ecology and conservation biology.

The distribution of the crested and marbled newt species (Amphibia: Salamandridae: Triturus) – an addition to the New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe

In the recently published New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe (Sillero et al., 2014a), the distribution of the newt genusTrituruswas not resolved at the level of the species. The main reason for this was the lack of high quality distribution data from in and around the parapatric contact zones between species, where interspecific hybridization occurs. We are working extensively onTriturusand the (particularly genetic) data we have accumulated allow us to map the individualTriturusspecies at the appropriate scale. We here provide a database composed of distribution data for the individual species, at generally high resolution, particularly from in and around contact zones. Based on this database we produce maps at the 50 × 50 km UTM grid resolution as used in the new atlas and highlight those grid cells in which more than oneTriturusspecies occurs.

Updated distribution and biogeography of amphibians and reptiles of Europe

A precise knowledge of the spatial distribution of taxa is essential for decision-making processes in land management and biodiversity conservation, both for present and under future global change scenarios. This is a key base for several scientific disciplines (e.g. macro-ecology, biogeography, evolutionary biology, spatial planning, or environmental impact assessment) that rely on species distribution maps. An atlas summarizing the distribution of European amphibians and reptiles with 50 × 50 km resolution maps based on ca. 85 000 grid records was published by the Societas Europaea Herpetologica (SEH) in 1997. Since then, more detailed species distribution maps covering large parts of Europe became available, while taxonomic progress has led to a plethora of taxonomic changes including new species descriptions. To account for these progresses, we compiled information from different data sources: published in books and websites, ongoing national atlases, personal data kindly provided to the SEH, the 1997 European Atlas, and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Databases were homogenised, deleting all information except species names and coordinates, projected to the same coordinate system (WGS84) and transformed into a 50 × 50 km grid. The newly compiled database comprises more than 384 000 grid and locality records distributed across 40 countries. We calculated species richness maps as well as maps of Corrected Weighted Endemism and defined species distribution types (i.e. groups of species with similar distribution patterns) by hierarchical cluster analysis using Jaccard’s index as association measure. Our analysis serves as a preliminary step towards an interactive, dynamic and online distributed database system (NA2RE system) of the current spatial distribution of European amphibians and reptiles. The NA2RE system will serve as well to monitor potential temporal changes in their distributions. Grid maps of all species are made available along with this paper as a tool for decision-making and conservation-related studies and actions. We also identify taxonomic and geographic gaps of knowledge that need to be filled, and we highlight the need to add temporal and altitudinal data for all records, to allow tracking potential species distribution changes as well as detailed modelling of the impacts of land use and climate change on European amphibians and reptiles.

Distributed database system of the New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Europe: the NA2RE project

The Societas Europaea Herpetologica (SEH) decided in 2006 through its Mapping Committee to implement the New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe (NA2RE: http://na2re.ismai.pt) as a chorological database system. Initially designed to be a system of distributed databases, NA2RE quickly evolved to a Spatial Data Infrastructure, a system of geographically distributed systems. Each individual system has a national focus and is implemented in an online network, accessible through standard interfaces, thus allowing for interoperable communication and sharing of spatial-temporal data amongst one another. A Web interface facilitates the access of the user to all participating data systems as if it were one single virtual integrated data-source. Upon user request, the Web interface searches all distributed data-sources for the requested data, integrating the answers in an always updated and interactive map. This infrastructure implements methods for fast actualisation of national observation records, as well as for the use of a common taxonomy and systematics. Using this approach, data duplication is avoided, national systems are maintained in their own countries, and national organisations are responsible for their own data curation and management. The database could be built with different representation levels and resolution levels of data, and filtered according to species conservation matters. We present the first prototype of NA2RE, composed of the last data compilation performed by the SEH (Sillero et al., 2014). This system is implemented using only open source software: PostgreSQL database with PostGIS extension, Geoserver, and OpenLayers.

Conservation planning with uncertain climate change projections.

Climate change is affecting biodiversity worldwide, but conservation responses are constrained by considerable uncertainty regarding the magnitude, rate and ecological consequences of expected climate change. Here we propose a framework to account for several sources of uncertainty in conservation prioritization. Within this framework we account for uncertainties arising from (i) species distributions that shift following climate change, (ii) basic connectivity requirements of species, (iii) alternative climate change scenarios and their impacts, (iv) in the modelling of species distributions, and (v) different levels of confidence about present and future. When future impacts of climate change are uncertain, robustness of decision-making can be improved by quantifying the risks and trade-offs associated with climate scenarios. Sensible prioritization that accounts simultaneously for the present and potential future distributions of species is achievable without overly jeopardising present-day conservation values. Doing so requires systematic treatment of uncertainties and testing of the sensitivity of results to assumptions about climate. We illustrate the proposed framework by identifying priority areas for amphibians and reptiles in Europe.

The parasites of the invasive Chinese sleeperPerccottus glenii(Fam. Odontobutidae), with the first report ofNippotaenia mogurndaein Ukraine

The parasites of the Asian invasive fish, Chinese sleeper Perccottus glenii , were studied in 6 localities in different parts of Ukraine. In total, 15 taxa of parasites were registered; among them were 1 species of Microsporidia, 5 species of ciliates, 2 species of cestodes, 2 species of trematodes, 2 species of nematodes, 1 species of acanthocephalan, 1 species of parasitic crustacean and 1 mollusk (glochidia). The invasive Chinese sleeper is included as a paratenic host in the life cycle of the parasites of indigenous reptiles in Europe. The non-indigenous cestode Nippotaenia mogurndae occurred in the intestine of the Chinese sleeper from the Ivachiv Reservoir (Dniester River basin). This cestode is recorded for Ukrainian fauna for the first time. In addition, 3 species of parasites were recorded in the Chinese sleeper for the first time: Nicolla skrjabini , Cosmocephalus obvelatus and Pomphorhynchus laevis . We note the low similarity among the different localities and the low parasite richness, that suggest that the parasite fauna of the Chinese sleeper in Ukraine is in transition.

Biotic acceptance in introduced amphibians and reptiles in Europe and North America

AbstractAimThe biotic resistance hypothesis argues that complex plant and animal communities are more resistant to invasion than simpler communities. Conversely, the biotic acceptance hypothesis states that non‐native and native species richness are positively related. Most tests of these hypotheses at continental scales, typically conducted on plants, have found support for biotic acceptance. We tested these hypotheses on both amphibians and reptiles across Europe and North America.LocationContinental countries in Europe and states/provinces in North America.MethodsWe used multiple linear regression models to determine which factors predicted successful establishment of amphibians and reptiles in Europe and North America, and additional models to determine which factors predicted native species richness.ResultsSuccessful establishment of amphibians and reptiles in Europe and reptiles in North America was positively related to native species richness. We found higher numbers of successful amphibian species in Europe than in North America. Potential evapotranspiration (PET) was positively related to non‐native species richness for amphibians and reptiles in Europe and reptiles in North America. PET was also the primary factor determining native species richness for both amphibians and reptiles in Europe and North America.Main conclusionsWe found support for the biotic acceptance hypothesis for amphibians and reptiles in Europe and reptiles in North America, suggesting that the presence of native amphibian and reptile species generally indicates good habitat for non‐native species. Our data suggest that the greater number of established amphibians per native amphibians in Europe than in North America might be explained by more introductions in Europe or climate‐matching of the invaders. Areas with high native species richness should be the focus of control and management efforts, especially considering that non‐native species located in areas with a high number of natives can have a large impact on biological diversity.

Within‐taxon niche structure: niche conservatism, divergence and predicted effects of climate change

Several studies have observed that taxa below the level of species can vary in the degree to which they differ from one another in the environmental space they occupy. These patterns of within‐species niche variation raise the question of whether these differences should be considered when developing models for predicting the potential effects of climate change on species distributions. We address this question with two divergent datasets, one on sister species and subspecies from the European herpetofauna, the other on subspecies of breeding birds in North America. Atlas and observation data come from the Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Europe and the North American Breeding Bird Survey, respectively. We develop boosted regression tree models of climate–distribution relationships and project the predicted geographic range of each taxon using interpolated weather station data and modeled climate for the year 2080. We find differences between models that distinguish the contributions of subtaxa and those that do not, in terms of prediction of both current and future distributions. In comparison to models that ignore sub‐taxon structure, models that incorporate this structure generally predict larger areas of suitable conditions, consistently perform better, if only marginally, as measured by cross‐validated AUC, and can reveal divergent potential effects of climate change on subtaxa. Differences in niche occupancy and predicted distribution appear between closely related taxa regardless of their phylogenetic distinctness. For these reasons, information on subtaxon membership and phylogeographic structure should be included in modeling exercises when available, in order to identify both the contribution of these units to the niche occupancy of species and the potentially distinct responses of subtaxa to climate change.