The Herpetofauna of the Peri-urban Forest Seich Sou (Kedrinos Lofos), Thessaloniki, Greece

Peri-urban forests have both a protective and aesthetic role in cities, contributing to the health and well-being of their residents. Seich Sou is the peri-urban forest of Thessaloniki City, Greece, with an area of about 3000 ha. It offers protection from erosion and pollution, a place for recreation and it can also provide a wildlife refuge. To date, no thorough report on the Seich Sou's herpetofauna exists in the literature, which is the aim of the present work. The presence of 32 herpetofauna species (seven amphibians and 25 reptiles) has been confirmed in the peri-urban forest, after numerous herpetological surveys that have been conducted within a 17-year time period. Amongst them, eight are listed in the Appendix II of the Council Directive 92/43/EC, three are characterized as Near Threatened and one as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.