Skip to Content

Emilia Vacheva

Emilia Vacheva's picture

Personal information

Contacts

Address: Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research,
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Tsar Osvoboditel blvd. 1; Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
e-mail: emilia.vacheva@gmail.com
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Emiliya-Vacheva

Research interests

Herpetology, taxonomy, distribution, ecology and conservation of amphibians and reptiles.

Publications

Vacheva E., Naumov B. (2025): Data on the Trophic Spectrum of Ablepharus kitaibelii (Reptilia: Scincidae). Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 77 (1): 85-91.
https://www.acta-zoologica-bulgarica.eu/2025/002824

Naumov B.Y., Lukanov S.P., Vacheva E.D., Lazarkevich I.V. & Slavchev M.L. (2025): Phenology and Sex Ratio of Triturus cristatus (Laurenti, 1768) (Amphibia: Salamandridae) at its Southern Range Limit. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 77 (1): 71-84.
https://www.acta-zoologica-bulgarica.eu/2025/002822

Popgeorgiev G., Dyugmedzhiev A., Lukanov S., Vacheva E., Slavchev M., Andonov K., Vergilov V. Duhalov D., Krastev K., Stojanov A., Tzankov N., Plachiyski D., Kornilev Y.V., Naumov B. (2025): Key areas for the conservation of endangered reptile species in the Kresna Gorge, south-western Bulgaria. Historia naturalis bulgarica, 47(3): 39–47.
https://www.nmnhs.com/historia-naturalis-bulgarica/pdfs/000578000472025.pdf

Naumov B., Vacheva E., Lukanov S. (2024): Diet and feeding habits of Triturus cristatus (Laurenti, 1768) (Amphibia: Salamandridae) in its southernmost locality. North-Western Journal of Zoology, 20 (2): 116-125.
https://biozoojournals.ro/nwjz/content/v20n2/nwjz_e241505_Naumov.pdf

Altmanová M., Doležálková-Kaštánková M., Jablonski D., Strachinis I., Vergilov V., Vacheva E., Iannucci A., Choleva L., Ráb P., Moravec J., Gvoždík V. (2024): Karyotype stasis but species-specific repetitive DNA patterns in Anguis lizards (Squamata: Anguidae), in the evolutionary framework of Anguiformes. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2024, 202 (2): 1–17, https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/202/2/zlad153/74858...

Lazarkevich I., Engibarv S., Mitova S., Eneva R., Paunova-Krasteva T., Borisova D., Vacheva E., Popova S.,Stanchev N., Gocheva Y., Gerginova M. (2024): The Isolation, Identification and Characterization of a Wild-Type Strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa PM1012 from the Cloacal Microbiota of a Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis Laurenti, 1768). Applied Microbiology, 4(3):1396-1410.
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8007/4/3/96

Lazarkevich I., Engibarv S., Mitova S., Vacheva E., Popova S.,Stanchev N., Eneva R., Gocheva Y., Ilieva Y., Najdenski H.(2024): Diversity of the aerobic cloacal microbiota of syntopic lizard species (Reptilia: Sauria) from a low-mountain area in Western Bulgaria. Ecologica Montenegrina, 75:119-132
https://www.biotaxa.org/em/article/view/85536

Vacheva E., Naumov B. (2024): Diet composition of the lizard Lacerta viridis (Laurenti, 1768) (Reptilia: Lacertidae) in Bulgaria confirm its generalistic feeding behaviour. Historia naturalis bulgarica 46 (7): 181–187.
https://www.nmnhs.com/historia-naturalis-bulgarica/pdfs/000554000462024.pdf

Vacheva E., Naumov B. (2024): Some insights into the diet of the Balkan wall lizard Podarcis tauricus (Pallas, 1814) in northwestern Bulgaria. Biharean Biologist, 18(1): 51-56.
https://biozoojournals.ro/bihbiol/cont/v18n1/bb_e241301_Vacheva.pdf

Vacheva E., Naumov B. (2024): The common wall lizard Podarcis muralis (Reptilia: Lacertidae) shows diverse food preferences and intraspecific difference: a study case from Bulgaria. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 48(3): 188-197; https://doi.org/10.55730/1300-0179.3173
https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3173&context...

Lazarkevich I., Engibarv S., Mitova S., Popova S., Vacheva E., Stanchev N., Eneva R., Gocheva Y., Lalovska I., Paunova-Krasteva T., Ilieva Y., Najdenski H. (2024):Pathogenic Potential of Opportunistic Gram-Negative Bacteria Isolated from the Cloacal Microbiota of Free-Living Reptile Hosts Originating from Bulgaria. Life, 14(5), 566; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14050566
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/14/5/566

Lazarkevich I., Engibarv S., Mitova S., Vacheva E., et al. (2024): 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. Applied Microbiology, 4(1):181-193.
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8007/4/1/13

Vacheva E. (2023): To take the risk: feeding on scorpions by lizards (Sauria: Lacertidae, Scincidae)–first documented cases from Bulgaria. Boletín de la Asociación Herpetológica Española 34:27-30.
http://www.herpetologica.org/BAHE/34/BAHE34[H_1140].pdf

Kornilev, Y., Popgeorgiev, G., Plachiyski, D., Dyugmedzhiev, A, Mladenov, V., Andonov, K., Lukanov, S., Vacheva, E., Slavchev, M., Naumov, B. (2023): Distribution of the grass snake (Natrix natrix) and dice snake (N. tessellata) in Bulgaria. Historia naturalis bulgarica, 45, 2023 239-254.
https://www.nmnhs.com/historia-naturalis-bulgarica/pdfs/000525000452023.pdf

Andonov K., Dyugmedzhiev A., Lukanov S., Vacheva E., Duhalov D., Nedeltcheva-Antonova D., Gechovska K., Naumov B. (2023): Chemical map of skin secretions in old-world snakes. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 110, 104713
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305197823001308?ref=...

Robbemont, J., van Veldhuijzen, S., Allain, S., Ambu, J., Boyle, R., Canestrelli, D., Cathasaigh, É. Ó., Cathrine, C., Chiocchio, A., Cogalniceanu, D., Cvijanović, M., Dufresnes, C., Ennis, C., Gandola, R., Jablonski, D., Julian, A., Kranželić, D., Lukanov, S., Martínez-Solano, I., Montgomery, R., Naumov, B., O’Neill, M., North, A., Pabijan, M., Pushendorf, R., Salvi, D., Schmidt, B., Sotiropoulos, K., Stanescu, F., Stanković, D., Stapleton, S., Šunje, E., Szabolcs, M., Vacheva, E., Willis, D., Zimić, A., France, J., Meilink, W., Stark, T., Struijk, R., Theodoropoulos, A., de Visser, M., Wielstra, B.. An extended mtDNA phylogeography for the alpine newt illuminates the provenance of introduced populations.. Amphibia-Reptilia, 2023, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10144

Popova S., Vacheva E., Naumov B. (2023): A Contribution to the Thermal Ecology of Lacerta agilis bosnica Schreiber, 1912 (Reptilia: Lacertidae). Ecologia Balkanica, 15(1):173-180.
https://eb.bio.uni-plovdiv.bg/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/173-180_eb23114...

Krastev G., Vacheva E., Naumov B. (2023): Winter activity of the snake-eyed lizard Ophisops elegans (Reptilia: Lacertidae) in the northwesternmost part of its range. Historia naturalis bulgarica, 45(4): 83-88.
https://www.nmnhs.com/historia-naturalis-bulgarica/pdfs/000508000452023.pdf

Naumov B. Y., Lukanov S. P., Vacheva E. V., Slavchev M. L. (2023): Distribution and ecology of Triturus cristatus (Laurenti, 1768) (Amphibia: Salamandridae) in Bulgaria. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 75(1): 113-122
https://www.acta-zoologica-bulgarica.eu/2023/002681.pdf

Oskyrko O., Sos T., Vacheva E., Vlad S.E., Cogălniceanu D., Uller T., Feiner N., Carretero M.A. (2022): Unraveling the origin of the common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) in Southeastern Europe using mitochondrial evidence. Biodiversity Data Journal, 10:e90337 DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.10.e90337.
https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/90337/

Vacheva E., Naumov B. (2022): A contribution to the knowledge on the diet and food preferences of Darevskia praticola (Reptilia: Lacertidae). Acta Herpetologica. 17(1): 27-36.
https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/ah/article/view/12179/11000

Vacheva E., Sedefchev H., Stanev N., Tsevtkov M., Lazarkevich I. (2022): On the maximum size of the European green lizard Lacerta viridis (Laurenti, 1768) from Bulgaria. Herpetology Notes, 15(2022):453-456.
https://www.biotaxa.org/hn/article/view/74724

Popova S., Vacheva E., Zlatanova D., Tzankov N. (2021): Age and Sex-related Differences Determine Microhabitat Use in Lacerta agilis bosnica (Reptilia: Lacertidae) in Western Bulgaria. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 73(1): 77-85.
https://acta-zoologica-bulgarica.eu/2021/002424.pdf

Kornilev Y.V., Lukanov S., Pulev A., Slavchev M., Andonov K., Vacheva E., Vergilov V., Mladenov V., Georgieva R., Popgeorgiev G. (2020): The Alien Pond Slider Trachemys scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792) in Bulgaria: Future Prospects for an Established and Reproducing Invasive Species. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 72(4): 571-581.
https://www.acta-zoologica-bulgarica.eu/downloads/acta-zoologica-bulgari...

Vacheva E., Naumov B. (2020): Diet of the Viviparous lizard Zootoca vivipara (Lichtenstein, 1823) (Reptilia: Lacertidae) from its southern range of distribution. North Western Journal of Zoology, 16 (2):178-190.
https://biozoojournals.ro/nwjz/content/v16n2/nwjz_e201504_Vacheva.pdf

Vacheva E.D., Naumov, B.Y., Tzankov, N.D. (2020): Diversity and Habitat Preferences in Lizard Assemblages (Reptilia: Sauria) from Model Territories in Western Bulgaria. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 72(3): 385-396.
https://www.acta-zoologica-bulgarica.eu/downloads/acta-zoologica-bulgari...

Andonov K., Dyugmedzhiev A., Lukanov L., Slavchev M., Vacheva E., Stanchev N., Popgeorgiev G., Duhalov D., Kornilev Y.V., Nedeltcheva-Antonova D., Naumov B. (2020): Analyses‌ ‌of‌ ‌skin‌ ‌secretions‌ ‌of‌ ‌‌Vipera‌ ‌ammodytes‌‌ ‌(Linnaeus,‌ ‌ 1758)‌ ‌(Reptilia:‌ ‌Serpentes),‌ ‌with‌ ‌focus‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌complex‌ ‌ compounds‌ ‌and‌ ‌their‌ ‌possible‌ ‌role‌ ‌as‌ ‌sex‌ ‌pheromone‌. Molecules, 25(16): 3622 doi:10.3390/molecules25163622.
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/16/3622/htm

Naumov B., Lukanov S., Vacheva E. (2020): Social media in service of biodiversity conservation: providing new locality for Ichthyosaura alpestris (Laurenti, 1768), a glacial relict in Bulgaria. Herpetology notes, 13: 181-183.
https://www.biotaxa.org/hn/article/view/54126

Popova S., Vacheva E., Tzankov N. (2019): Sexual size dimorphism in the Balkan subspecies of the Sand lizard Lacerta agilis bosnica Schreiber, 1912 (Reptilia: Lacertidae) in Bulgaria. Scientific Sessions of the Faculty of Biology, 104: 141-153.
https://www.uni-sofia.bg/index.php/bul/universitet_t/fakulteti/biologich...

Lukanov S., Stanev N., Vacheva E., Naumov B. (2018): A unique case of temporary bloat in Buresch’s crested newt Triturus ivanbureschi Arntzen and Wielstra, 2013. Herpetology Notes, 11:971-973.
https://www.biotaxa.org/hn/article/view/39995

Vacheva E. (2018): First records of keratophagy in Zootoca vivipara (Lichtenstein, 1823) suggest a common occurrence in free-ranging populations (Reptilia: Lacertidae). Herpetology Notes, 11:963-965.
https://www.biotaxa.org/hn/article/view/36397

Kornilev Y.V., Popgeorgiev G., Vacheva E., Tzankov N. (2018): First records of melanism (including in tail bifurcation) of lacertid lizards (Reptilia: Lacertidae) in Bulgaria. North Western Journal of Zoology, 14 (1):142-144.
https://biozoojournals.ro/nwjz/content/v14n1/nwjz_e177501_Kornilev.pdf

Affiliation

Department
Ecosystem Research, Environmental Risk Assessment and Conservation Biology
Division
Community Ecology and Conservation Biology

History

Member for
2 years 47 weeks