O. G. Dely szerk.: Vertebrata Hungarica 8/1-2. (Budapest, 1966)

Marián, M.: The herpetofauna of the Fehértó (Lake Fehér) near Kardoskut, Hungary 93-104. o.

VERTEBRATA HUNGARSCA M USE I HISTORtCO - NATURALIS HUNGARICI Tom. VIII. 1966. Fosc. 1-2. The Herpetofauna off the Fehértó (Lake Fehér) near Kardoskúty Hungary By M. Marián Móra F. Museum, Szeged Until recently, no systematic assay of the herpetofauna of our alkali field had been made. Aside of the fact that the zoogeographical knowledge of the country were incomplete without the exploration of the herpetofauna of the alkali plains,the theme in itself raises a number of most interesting biological and ecological problems. Such too, which could be clearly and definitely answered, only by a thorough and comparative analysis of the faunas of the different types of natron waters. Since 1962, a research team, specially sponsored by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, investigates regularly the life forms of the alkali waters. The present paper is one of the results of this project. The lake called Fehértó is a temporary body of alkali water, formed on solonchak soil, 3 km long, and 11-12 km south of Orosháza. The water is strongly basic (pH 8.2). The highest water level attains lm; the supply depends on ground water. Evaporation is fairly big, an annual 700 mm at yearly average of 600 mm precipitation. Annual mean temperature: 10.6°C; summer mean temperature:22-23°C; winter mean temperature: -2 - -3°C (ANDÓ, 1966). In the Fehértó, of a highly fluctuating water level and of extreme weather conditions, as well as in its neighbour-