Abstract
The recent update to the list of European herpetofauna species, published in 2020, includes 206 non-avian reptile species. The steppe ribbon racer, Psammophis lineolatus, is a snake species widely distributed across the deserts and semi-deserts of Central Asia and neighboring regions. Previously unrecorded in Europe, two specimens were discovered west of the Ural River during surveys in western Kazakhstan’s northeastern Caspian region. This is the first record of the species in Europe and marks its most northwestern distribution. DNA barcoding analysis revealed substantial mitochondrial diversity in the region, with European specimens having distinct haplotypes (0.73% p-distance), indicating colonization by two different phylogenetic lineages. This discovery highlights the need for further research on the P. lineolatus intraspecific diversity, phylogeography, and taxonomy.