Morphological evaluation of Hyla savignyi audouin, 1827 (The Green Frog)

Hyla orientalis and Hyla savignyi are two species within the genus Hyla found in Anatolia. While H. orientalis is represented by a single lineage, H. savignyi comprises two distinct evolutionary lineages capable of adapting to different climatic conditions. In this thesis, it was conducted a comparative study of H. savignyi lineages and used comprehensive morphological methods on 165 male specimens. The linear morphometric analysis indicated that the lineages differed in head length (HTL, ES), interocular distance (IOD, EPD), and hindlimb measurements (TRL, IMTL). Principal component analysis (PCA) further highlighted differentiation primarily in hindlimb (FML, TBL, T1L), head dimensions (HW, HLT), and body size (SUL). Moreover, PCA and discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) revealed minor distinctions between the lineages in morphospace, with considerable overlap among individuals. However, DAPC analysis did confirm differences in hindlimb characteristics (IMTL, WL, TD).